Beauty and the Serpent
by 3milyjane
Summary: Maya Schoenberg's life seems to always connect back to Rosemarie Hathaway. Whether it's because she's childhood friends with Dimitri Belikov, or working for Abe Mazur, Maya constantly finds herself in predicaments involving Rose and those closest to her.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Western Movies, Stats Quizzes and Gas Leaks - Oh My!

I smiled as I recognized Dimitri s tall frame sitting down at the table next to Ivan. Grabbing a tray of food similarly the same shade of grey, I rushed through the clumps of students and took a seat across from them.

"Hey guys," I greeted them.

"Oh, Maya, thank God you re here!" Ivan exclaimed, ignoring my friendly introduction. "Your timing is impeccable. Dimitri is going on about John Wayne."

I glanced over at Dimitri. "I m assuming my father brought you the movie?"

Ivan groaned and slammed his head against the table, which gained a few stares from other tables nearby. "And here I thought you were my savior," he muttered.

Dimitri disregarded Ivan s dramatic flair, continuing with our conversation. "Yeah, he said you haven t seen it yet. I was thinking about watching it tonight. You could join me if you want." His eyes regarded me in a friendly manner, but I knew more emotion hid underneath. He and I had been best friends ever since kindergarten when I wore cowboy boots to school on a dare, but our relationship had become steadily more and more confusing within the past year.

"Sure." I glanced at the ever-so-solemn Ivan. "You can come too," I invited him.

His head popped up immediately. "Did you seriously just invite me to watch a Western movie? Oh, that's classic." His grin reached ear-to-ear.

Well, just because Maya invited you doesn't mean I want you to come, Dimitri teased. Dimitri and I both knew Ivan couldn't be quiet during movies. It didn't bother me as much - mostly because I liked to talk during movies as well, but Dimitri prefered to watch films in complete silence.

"Doesn't matter because Maya gave me all the permission I need," Ivan countered, winking at me. Ivan was a natural flirt and particularly liked flirting with me. I didn't know exactly why, but a part of me found it amusing.

Dimitri did not. I could see his jaw clench and his whole body tense.

"Did any of you study for the statistics quiz?" I asked, changing the subject.

Both Ivan and Dimitri smirked. I never studied, but somehow miraculously retained A s in every single class. Photographic memory came in handy quite often in my life.

"Did you look at the book? If you did, I m sure you ll be fine." Ivan in particular liked to give me a hard time since he struggled in school. Of course, it was normally because of his interests in social events rather than studying. "Remind me to sit by you during the quiz today."

Just then, Viktoria - Dimitri's sister - ran up to our table.

"What are you doing on the high school campus?" Dimitri asked, slipping into his protective brother role.

"Apparently there's a gas leak and we might be getting out of school for a week while they fix the problem!" Viktoria enthusiastically announced, her cheeks flushing with excitement.

"Well, there's one way to get out of the stats quiz," Ivan muttered.

I smirked at him, but felt my stomach plummet to the soles of my feet. I did not want to go back home for a week. I didn't want to face my mother and her couple hundred Moroi partners she snuck around with when my father wasn't around. As weird as it sounded, St. Basil s was the only place to get away from the reality that was home.

"A gas leak?" Dimitri seemed apprehensive, as if he didn't quite believe it himself.

"That's what Mr. Schoenberg told me."

My attention went directly to Dimitri's little sister when she mentioned my father. "Where is he now?" I asked.

Viktoria pointed toward the other side of the cafeteria, where - sure enough - my father stood, discussing with other teachers. I rushed over to him and grabbed his arm. Of course, my father, being the legendary guardian he was, didn't seem bothered by my rough grip. Instead, he simply looked over at me and gave me his lopsided grin. "Oh no, school's getting out. When will you ever see Dimitri again?" Arthur Schoenberg was a man who appreciated the art of pestering, especially when it came to my relationship with Dimitri. In all honesty, I knew my father approved of Dimitri, but would never stop being protective of me.

"Cute, daddy. How long did it take you to think of that one?" I smirked at him, but after a few moments I turned sullen. "...Do I have to go back home?" I asked.

My father s gaze softened as he pulled me into his arms. "I know, honey, I know. Trust me, I'm not looking forward to finding out how many men have been visiting in the past three months."

"I hate her..." I whispered into his chest. "...Why do you love her?"

This question haunted me every day of my life. I couldn't imagine why such a successful guardian as my father would love the only and most disgusting Moroi blood whore in all of history.

"Maya, you're only 18 - you're too young to understand right now."

I broke away from his arms. "What do you mean I m too young?" I asked, my voice raising.

Other teachers looked our way. My father for once in his life looked sheepish. "Maya, I really don't think this is the appropriate time to have this conversation."

"Will it ever be the appropriate time?! God, it's like you can t even fess up that you make mistakes!" I tried to storm off, but my father grabbed my shoulder and turned me around so I faced him.

"It wasn't a mistake," he calmly stated. "Loving her wasn't a mistake because I gained you out of it. You are my world, Maya..."

My eyes began to water, but I fought hard to not let the tears fall down my face. "Then don t let me go back there."

"There's nothing I can do about that, Maya. I have to stay at the school and make sure everything goes smoothly with this gas leak problem."

I glared at him. This time I really stormed off.

And Arthur Schoenberg didn't stop me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Dr. Zeklos

I clutched onto my small bag of belongings as I stared out the window of the train.

Baia.

I'm going back to my horrid homeland.

I'm going back to my horrid mother.

A part of me wanted to find a way to escape and run away. I already thought through five different escape scenarios. I could forget about finishing school, forget about being a guardian, and forget about the past which seemingly haunted every aspect of my life. However, I couldn't bring myself to actually act upon my thoughts.

Dimitri sat in the seat across the row with Viktoria, who animatedly explained every detail of what she had planned when she got back home. He watched his sister with an amused expression, but would periodically glance over at me. I knew he saw my outburst in the cafeteria. He didn't know all the details about my life at home, but he knew enough to be uneasy about the situation.

I rested my head against the window and closed my eyes. I was hoping for just a moment in which I could forget everything...

"Yo, Maya!" I recognized Ivan's voice immediately and felt a thud against my seat.

I opened my eyes to see he was sitting beside me. "What?" I asked, obviously irritated.

He watched me, hesitating to tell me anything in case I punched him in the face. "Well...uh...I was just...um, thinking about having a party. You know, to celebrate gas leaks."

"Please tell me it s not a costume party. I really don t have the creativity to try and make an abstract get-up symbolizing our dependency on oil exports."

He smirked. "You saying that convinces me that you do, but no, it s not a costume party."

"Are all your cliquey Moroi friends taking part in this celebration?"

Ivan frowned, seeing I was trying to get myself out of going to his party. I did this quite frequently. In fact, I believe the last party of his I went to was at the end of 9th grade.

"Yeah, they'll be there," he finally admitted. "But I still want you to come."

"Why?"

It was such a simple question, but Ivan became momentarily speechless. "...You looked really upset after you talked to your dad. I just thought you could use something fun to cheer you up."

I could tell by his expression that he was being completely earnest. His eyes for once didn't seem to have their usual mischievous glint, but instead regarded me in a serious manner. He placed his arm around me, his usual composure returning. "I really would appreciate it if you came," he admitted, his voice calm and slow.

I smirked, leaning in toward him. "Compulsion isn't necessary, you know. I'll come to your party."

Ivan's grin expanded, and he still kept his arm around me. "You're such a stubborn-ass. I should've guessed compulsion wouldn't have worked on you."

I laughed. Indeed, stubborn-ass seemed to be a good word to describe me.

"I should probably head back to my seat before Dimitri rips my head off," Ivan informed me.

"He wouldn't do that."

"Look at the expression on his face and you might think otherwise."

I ducked around Ivan and caught a quick glance of Dimitri. His whole body seemed tense and his eyes lost all of their usual softness. They darted back over my direction and I quickly bounced back toward my seat, making sure Ivan covered me. "You may have a point," I complied.

"What's going on between you guys?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I countered, uncomfortable with where he was taking this conversation.

"I mean, Dimitri doesn't like when I'm around you. He gets all weirdly jealous. It just makes me think you two are more than friends..." I couldn't exactly distinguish the expression Ivan wore on his face as he told me this. He was close friends with both me and Dimitri, which I could imagine caused him to think he d become a third-wheel or be forgotten altogether.

"Honestly, I don t know what s going on between him and me. One second, he loves me and wants to be with me; the next, he pushes me away and tells me we can t be together because it would ruin our friendship and our careers as guardians, especially if we guarded the same Moroi." I couldn't believe I was seriously confiding in Ivan, but a part of me felt comfortable talking with him.

"Do you like him?"

I didn't know how to answer that question.

A few seconds of silence passed by before Ivan asked again, "Do you like him?"

"I don't know, I mainly see him as a close friend," I finally blurted out.

Ivan gave me a sympathetic smile. "I think you got yourself into a bit of a pickle, Maya."

"Oh wise Ivan, do you have any advice for me?" I dramatically asked.

Ivan sunk back into the seat, contemplating. His arm pulled me closer towards him. He smirked as he leaned down toward me, his lips almost touching my ear. I shivered as his warm breath caressed my skin. "There's one option, but it's very risky," he whispered.

"I didn't realize this was turning into a hospital drama show," I replied.

I could feel his lips turning upward into a smile against my ear. "So are you going to call me Dr. Zeklos from now on?" He asked, pulling away from me.

"I don t think you're qualified," I teased. "But seriously, I think you know I'm a risk taker. Tell me your master plan."

"Master plan? My, you must have some faith in me."

"Not enough faith to call you Dr. Zeklos."

Ivan laughed. "It's no wonder why Dimitri loves you."

The train came to an abrupt stop before I could respond.

"See ya later, Maya," Ivan winked at me before getting up and off the train.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Banter With Zmey

"Maya, what are you doing home?" My mother immediately asked once I entered through the front door. Her long blonde hair covered her neck which I knew were covered with bite marks from other Moroi men. Her brown eyes - one of the only similarities we shared - scrutinized every detail about me, as if I were some stranger.

"Hello to you too," I replied, closing the door behind me. "There was a gas leak at the school and they had to let us go back home for safety reasons."

"Is your father with you?" I heard fear within her voice. I knew she didn't want to face my father after all the times she's betrayed him.

"No, so you can fuck all the men you want," I harshly answered, carrying my bag upstairs to my dedicated bedroom. I slammed the door behind me and fell down to the floor, covering my tearful face with my hands. Sobs violently shook my body as I took in the all-too-familiar surroundings. I didn't want to be back at this place.

"Maya! Maya, please open the door," My mother called, pounding on my bedroom door.

"Leave me alone," I muttered.

My mother continued persisting her entrance into my room, but eventually gave up. I was left in silence, sitting on the cold wooden floor. A part of me thought about unpacking, but disregarded the idea immediately. Unpacking was a sign of permanence, and I hoped this place would never be a permanent part of my life.

I drug myself to the bed covered with plain beige sheets and buried my head into the pillows. I squeezed my eyes shut, as if to erase this place from ever coming into view. My steady breathing calmed me down and I fell in and out of sleep for the next few hours, allowing my dreams to take over reality...

_I was back at St. Basil s, walking across the campus toward the girls dormitory. The weather was unusually warm for this time of year, and all the students were taking advantage of it. Many of them sat in the grass with their textbooks, conversing and studying with each other. I recognized some familiar faces, but I couldn t really place any names._

_Until I saw Ivan._

_He smiled as he distinguished me from the rest of the student body, gesturing for me to come take a seat beside him. I hesitated for a moment, looking around for Dimitri, but he wasn t anywhere to be found. I took the seat beside Ivan, still searching around the campus._

_"You look like you're on some kind of mission," he teased me._

_"No, just looking for Dimitri."_

_Ivan sighed and laid back against the ground, staring up at the sky. "So, on your list of priorities Dimitri would be number one."_

_I followed suite and laid back beside him. "No, I just thought he would be here with you. I mean, you two are close friends. It's not ridiculous for me to think he would hang out with you every once in awhile."_

_Ahh, I didn't realize I would be talking to logical Maya today. In that case, you can go look for Dimitri."_

_I rolled over and glared at him. "What's that suppose to mean?"_

_He rolled over and smirked. "I like everything about you, but I prefer the company of witty Maya or delicate Maya."_

_"Delicate Maya?"_

_"Yeah, you know, like when you dance. I mean, I guess the way you move in general. Like the way you point your toes as you walk down stairs, or how you make raising your hand in class seem like a graceful dance within itself." I had heard Ivan ramble about quite a few topics before, but never about me. I've been dancing since I was only three-years old, and found a profound passion for the beautiful way a body could move to music and make it come alive._

_"That's really saying something since I don t ever raise my hand in class."_

_Ivan laughed, his voice ringing throughout the school campus. His eyes softened as he pulled some strands of my hair out of my face. "You re a one-of-a-kind," he whispered. "So many colors surround you, they're constantly moving. And you glow. You glow brighter than any lights, than the sun."_

_I stared at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?" I asked._

_Your aura. His face slowly inched towards mine. "It's so beautiful. Everything about you is beautiful." His lips made contact with mine-_

-Loud banging on the front door woke me up. I rolled out of bed and tried to tame down my hair before exiting my room. I looked across the hallway into my mother s room. The window was open, and I immediately knew she had run away from whoever was at the door. My dream left me confused and a part of me felt like I should beat out my frustration on whatever Moroi man came to bother my mother.

I stormed toward the front door and slammed it open, revealing the most tan Moroi man I had ever seen in my entire life. His almost black hair was tied back and he wore a very expensive looking suit with a matching scarf and pocket square. His dark eyes glinted with amusement, and I assumed he wasn t expecting an 18 year-old dhampir to answer the door. Much less a five foot tall, barely one hundred pound dhampir who only stood up to his chest.

"Marina isn't here," I harshly told him. I went to close the door in his face, but he grabbed the door before I could and pushed me aside as he walked into the house. He was much stronger than most Moroi men I encountered. "That wasn't an invitation to come inside."

He ignored me and continued on through my home. Instinct pulsed through me and I sprinted toward him, jumping onto his back. My small weight didn't help to create a big impact, and he instead grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder. I kicked as much as I could, struggling to break free. However, his grip held strong as he carried me upstairs and into my mother's room.

I could feel myself start to hyperventilate. Would he do to me what he usually did to my mother? I didn't want this. I began to scream as loud as I could. The Moroi man took me off of his shoulder and covered my mouth with his hand. "I won't hurt you," he finally spoke, a faint accent I couldn't distinguish in his voice.

I realized then tears were streaming down my face. I shouldn't be reacting like this. I was suppose to be a strong guardian. I should never cry, especially in front of Moroi.

"Well, I guess this isn't the first time I made a women cry," He joked as he let go of me and searched through the room, opening every drawer of each dresser.

"Wait, you aren't going to take advantage of me and suck my blood?"

He laughed. "Trust me, I wouldn't mind, especially from a beautiful girl like you, but I have serious business to do here."

"What are you looking for?" I asked him. Obviously, this man wasn't here just for sex. He had something very specific in mind, and I was curious to find out what.

I could see him contemplating whether or not to tell me. "Let me ask you a question first," he finally responded. "Who are you? I've been here multiple times and have never seen you before."

"I think I should ask you that question first seeing how you just barged into my house."

He smirked. "But you didn't ask first, therefore you must answer first."

"How do I know that you will give me an answer?" I had a feeling most of what this Moroi did was illegal and didn't keep promises very often.

"That's a risk you'll have to take." He opened the last drawer and dug through its contents. Apparently he found nothing because he angrily closed it shut.

"Maya Schoenberg," I introduced myself. I felt like if he had wanted to cause me harm, he would have done it before now when he had a hold of me.

His eyes widened as he recognized my name. "Why is the only daughter of Arthur Schoenberg at this house?" He asked.

"Hey! You can t just ask more questions. You have to answer too."

"Schoenberg, trust me, you don t want to get involved in this mess."

"Trust me, I don t care. I get involved in messes all the time."

"If I've never seen you before, you don't get involved in the messes I usually do."

I crossed my arms across my chest, glaring at him as he held up a vase to inspect it. I realized the only way I was going to get any answers from him was to give answers of my own. "Fine, I m here because, unfortunately, I am also the daughter of Marina Yatskaya."

The Moroi man dropped the vase immediately as he heard my answer and the crash filled the silence. "That's fucked up."

"Told yo mess. Now tell me who you are."

He hesitated, staring at me as if I had the answer.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Do you really think a little dhampir like me will cause you any harm?"

"Considering who your parents are - yes."

I groaned as I charged out of my mother s room and across the hallway to my own room. I did not have time to interrogate this mysterious man. Ivan's party was going to start soon and I had to get ready. Opening my bag of belongings, I glanced through the clothes I brought home with me. I thought back to the dream I had before the Moroi man broke into my house, and started to doubt whether or not I should even go to the party. Things were complicated enough between Dimitri and me, and I didn't want things to become complicated between me and Ivan, too.

"You just left me alone in that room."

The Moroi s voice scared me, but I kept my composure.

"Wow, good observation. How long did it take for you to figure that one out?" I sarcastically asked.

He smirked, clearly amused. "Right away because I couldn't hear you whining or complaining." His eyes focused on my bag of belongings, which embarrassingly showcased quite a bit of lingerie peaking through the top layers of clothing.

I quickly closed my bag and turned toward him. "Can you leave?"

"Leave? I thought you wanted to know who I was."

"Honestly, I don t care anymore because I have to go somewhere soon and I would prefer to get ready alone."

"You don't want me to help pick out your outfit? I mean, you obviously have to notice I possess an immaculate fashion sense," he tantalized. "Where are you going anyway? The grocery store?"

"What is with you and all the questions? Are you some kind of lawyer?"

"No. But if you need one, I'd be glad to be yours, Schoenberg. Just call me."

I rolled my eyes. "That's kind of hard to do since I don't even know your name."

He grinned. "So you still want to know who I am?"

"I'd prefer it if you left."

He studied me, as if he was deciding what move to make. There was an obvious part of me which knew he wanted to stick around. However, I wasn't comfortable with this fact because I had a feeling the reasons he wanted to stick around were not good ones. "Abe Mazur."

"Oh dear lord, you were right. You are trouble." I had heard his name multiple times throughout my life and not a single time were they talking about him in a positive manner. I felt sick at the thought of him doing business with my mother. "Now I want you to leave."

"Are you going out by yourself?"

I stared at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"You said you had somewhere you needed to go tonight. Are you going there by yourself?"

"Are you trying to make me ask you out on a date?" I catechized. "Quite brave of you, considering the approximately 20 year age difference."

"I think your ego is getting a little big there, Schoenberg. You re a little too bony for my liking. Maybe gain a few pounds and we can discuss our intimate relationship. I'm simply asking as a gentleman who likes to help out the damsels in distress. Trust me, you don't want to be walking out there by yourself, especially this time of night."

"I think I'll be fine."

Abe suddenly grabbed my arm. "I can't allow you to go out there by yourself without me accompanying you."

I shook my arm, trying to get him to loosen his grip, but he didn't. "You know, you had me there for a little bit with the gentleman part, but then you ruined it with your commanding attitude."

"It wasn't commanding, it was protective," Abe defended himself. "Schoenberg, please let me do this. I can't walk out of here knowing I left you to a pack of sexually aroused wolves."

He had a point. Getting to Ivan's party would mean going through the Moroi part of town - a part which most dhampir girls avoided. Some Moroi men were fine, but others waited for any opportunity to pounce on the first dhampir girl they see.

"Fine. Let me get changed."

Abe let go of my arm, but continued to stay in my room.

"By myself," I added, glaring at him.

"How do I know you re not going to jump out that window and escape?" He asked me, pointing at the window on the farthest wall.

"Well, Mazur, I guess that's a risk you're going to have to take."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Never Walk Alone

"Jesus, Schoenberg, do you want me to do explicit things to you on the way there?" Abe blatantly asked as soon as he saw me in my outfit. I wasn't wearing anything too obviously provocative. It was a simple fit and flare black dress which reached an inch or two above my knee, but the back was just black lace, showing my bare skin.

"Only if you want to be your own lawyer," I replied. "Let's go."

I followed Abe outside and he extended his arm to me.

I glanced at him, hesitant to take it. A part of me felt like if I linked my arm with his, my life would also be forever intertwined with his.

"I'm trying to follow up with the whole gentleman thing," he explained.

"Well, in that case..." I linked my arm through his, shivering as the cold wind blew straight through me.

Immediately, he unlinked his arm from mine.

"What? You're already tired of being a gentleman?" I complained, but swallowed my words as soon as Abe took off his coat and scarf. He helped to put them on me and I instantly felt warmth cascading through me.

"Seriously, Schoenberg, I swear you re only skin and bones."

"My father always jokes about how I m built like a Moroi - well, except for my height - but I'm a dhampir. He used to worry about me when I was younger and started combat training. Luckily, my dancing background helped me more than my father would've ever believed."

We linked arms again as he guided me through Baia. "Dancing?"

"Yeah, I started dancing when I was three. If I wasn't going to be a guardian, I always thought I would be a dancer. I guess kicking ass can be like a dance sometimes, depending on who you're sparring with." A part of me couldn't believe I was casually walking through the streets with Abe Mazur, making friendly conversation with him. It seemed like one of those weird dreams I would have and then wake up wondering:_ what the hell did I eat last night?_

"Do you still dance?" He seemed legitimately interested in me. Of course, I knew to assume Abe Mazur always had ulterior motives. Maybe he thought it would be worth making a connection to Arthur Schoenberg's only daughter.

"Not as much as I would like to..." I admitted. "But I guess I won't have time for much anyway after graduation."

"Spoken like a true guardian," Abe commented. "I have a feeling you're just like your father."

"No." I wasn't like my father because I never wanted to make the mistake of falling in love with a horrible person. I never wanted to deal with betrayal every time I saw the one I loved most. I couldn't imagine the constant pain, the constant worrying about what they were doing behind my back. "No, I don't want to be just like him."

"Ahh, you re one of those individualistic teenagers who gets in trouble, huh?" Abe smirked, probably thinking back to days of his crazy youth.

"Yeah, I guess I like to think of myself as a peculiar character who encounters predicaments frequently," I agreed, but my mind began to drift as we came closer to Ivan's party. My odd dream with Ivan replayed itself, making me doubt my decision to go, much less allowing Abe Mazur to accompany me there.

I felt Abe's grip tighten as we reached the Moroi part of town. I could already sense the eyes of many Moroi men studying me, making me uncomfortable. I tugged Abe's blazer tighter around me as if to cover myself up. Without even realizing it, I had walked closer to Abe, my shoulder rubbing against his. "I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered, his voice displaying an edge of protectiveness which reminded me of Dimitri.

I remained silent, afraid my voice would be like a call for all Moroi men to pounce me. I could see Ivan's house across the way, and relief flooded through me.

Until I felt a bullet hit my back.

A scream pierced through my ears - my own scream. My vision blurred in and out of focus, and I could feel Abe's steady arms wrap around my waist and pull me toward his chest, mumbling my painful outburst. Another gunshot fired, coming from a much closer distance and scraped my arm. Abe dragged me away as quickly as he could from the violent scene, luckily in the direction of Ivan's house. However, pain pierced through my back with each step that he took. "Maya, stay with me," he murmured. It was the first time he had ever called me by my first name, and by the looks of it, the last.

I tried to hang on. Not for me, but for the other people in my life. My father, Ivan, Dimitri... I couldn't leave them. My father would have nothing to live for, Ivan would have no one to pick on, and Dimitri would have no one to watch Western movies with. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I took the easy way out and left them to suffer in this tragic world.

The pain only seemed to get worse as time wore on, and I knew I needed to say something. I needed some meaningful last words, something to inspire those close to me to continue on with their lives.

"I'm sorry I got your coat dirty," I blurted out to Abe, even though I didn't know if I spoke in an understandable manner.

"Schoenberg, that's the least of my problems right now."

I could feel my eyelids begin to droop as the pain took over my body. I could do nothing about it. I couldn't fight it anymore; my body wouldn't allow it. My destiny was to lay in Abe's arm until I rest in peace. Blackness flickered throughout my vision, and my lungs seemed to forget how to breathe. Abe's face frantically looked down at me, but I think both he and I knew it was a lost cause. Nothing could be done to change the imminent future.

Nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: The Letter

"Maya."

I recognized the voice immediately. I opened my eyes, but the damn bright light above blinded me, so I closed them again.

"Maya, can you hear me?" Dimitri's voice seemed relatively calm, considering I had recently been shot. Or was that a dream? Did I just fall asleep on the bus and he s waking me up? How am I still alive? Where's Abe? So many questions were pacing through my mind at once.

"Yeah," I croaked out.

_Oh, thank God you're okay,_ Ivan thought.

Wait, how was I hearing his thoughts in my head? What was going on? Maybe I was on so many pain-killer drugs that I'm hearing things. Or maybe I'm just crazy. Both options seemed plausible at this point in time.

"Where am I?" I asked, hoping to get some answers in order to clarify what exactly was reality or not.

"My house," Dimitri replied, "Ivan found you and had me help bring you here so my mom could check you out." Dimitri's mother, Olena, was the healer in town.

I could tell Dimitri didn't know the whole truth about what happened. I saw the scene playing out in Ivan s head: Ivan finding me in Abe s lap; Abe not knowing what to do; Ivan instinctively reaching out towards me and miraculously healing me enough to keep me alive; Abe and Ivan working together in order to bring to Dimitri's house where Olena could help in my recovery.

My eyes finally opened all the way and I was able to look around the room. Not only were Dimitri and Ivan there, but Dimitri's whole family stood by the doorway. All of them displayed concerned expressions on their faces. "How are you feeling?" Olena asked.

"I guess I'm okay, but are you sure I didn't get shot in the head?" I retorted.

Ivan smirked at this comment. "Maya, you wouldn't be alive if you were shot in the head," he acknowledged.

"Quite frankly, I don't understand how I'm alive now."

Ivan became uneasy after my statement, but Dimitri leaned forward and wrapped his arms around me, gently pulling me to his chest. My heart felt heavy at the thought of making Dimitri worry so much, and I wrapped my arms around him. His embrace reminded me that I almost died. Tears filled my eyes as I buried my face into his cotton shirt, trying my best to keep my emotions intact. "Don't ever scare me like that again," he whispered.

"I can't promise that." A part of me knew I would always be a target for someone because of my parents. Moroi men would hunt me down because they thought since I was Marina Yatskaya's daughter, I was an easy catch. Influential royal Moroi would hunt me down if they didn't like the decisions my father made. Either way, I was never safe. I would never be free from the danger in this world and no one would protect me. My job was to protect others.

"Who does this jacket and scarf belong to, anyway?" Ivan asked, even though he knew exactly who they belonged to.

I broke away from Dimitri, surprised by the jealous emotion fuming off of Ivan. "They belong to a friend of my dad's. He stopped over to check up on me before I headed out to your party and he left his coat and scarf," I lied.

"So you brought them with you?"

"Ivan, I think that's enough. Can't you see she's been through quite a bit in the last 24 hours? The last thing she needs is an interrogation from you." Thank the lord for Olena. I could imagine after a while my lies would have created obvious loopholes. She grabbed the jacket and scarf from Ivan and handed them to me. "I would be glad to return them if you need me to," she offered. Her eyes told me everything: she knew they belonged to Abe.

"Um, that's okay. I'll just wait until I go back to school and then I can give them to my dad." Another lie. Abe Mazur was turning me into a bad girl.

"I need to get going," Ivan announced, getting up from off of his chair. He was annoyed by the whole situation. He was the one who had saved my life, but of course Dimitri had to take the spotlight with his protective and caring ways and hug me. He'd rather not sit here and watch the whole Belikov family go all googly-eyed over me.

"Ivan, wait," I told him. "Come here."

He stared at me for a moment before complying with my demand. Once he was close enough, I threw my arms around him, tugging him toward me as much as I could with my weakened strength. He instinctively places his arms around me and sighed in relief.

"...Thank you." The two words seemed insufficient, but they meant the world to Ivan. I knew he had sacrificed a bunch to do what he did. I could tell he was tired by the magic he used. Opaque dark circles he had never had before clustered underneath his eyes and his skin had paled a few shades.

After a few more moments, our hug ended and Ivan said his goodbyes as he left the Belikov household. "You're going to need to rest more so you can recover by the time school starts; granted, your recovery so far has been quite remarkable. I've already got your belongings from your house and you'll be staying with us for the rest of the week." Olena transformed into her professional healer attitude. "All of us will be downstairs, so call if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay," I replied, slowly moving back to lay on the bed. "Thank you for everything."

Olena's eyes radiated warmth as she studied me. "You're very welcome." She got up and left the room, the rest of the Belikov clan following suite except for Dimitri.

"I should've been there to protect you," he muttered as soon as his mother closed the door.

"Dimka, you can't be everywhere at once. I'm glad you weren't there with me. What if you would have been hurt too?" I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "And even if you were there, could you have really protected me from a gun?" I had a feeling if Abe Mazur couldn't protect me from a gun, Dimitri couldn't either.

"I would've tried." Determination and passion filled his eyes.

"If you tried, the bullet would have gone through you. I don't know if I could handle knowing I was responsible for your injury." A part of me wondered if Abe was somewhere feeling guilty about what happened and how he couldn't help me. However, I doubted such a mobster would be so concerned over a little dhampir like myself.

"Why were you and Ivan acting so weird around each other?" Dimitri asked, changing subjects.

"We always act weird around each other."

"Not like today."

"Honestly, Ivan was PMSing today if you didn't notice."

Dimitri smirked. "He was strangely moody today. I guess he didn't get much sleep last night."

"Hey, I got shot twice with a gun last night. If anyone should be moody, it should be me," I stated. "But I can't blame him, a lot happened last night."

"...Yeah. I still don't know if I understand completely yet."

I glanced over at Dimitri. He knew he wasn't getting the whole story; he was too smart to just believe I miraculously survived two gun wounds and didn't have any permanent damage. "You probably understand a hell of a lot more than I do," I pointed out.

"I understand most of it...except for one aspect. Did you really walk over to Ivan's by yourself? I can't see you being that...well, stupid. I mean, no offense, but no dhampir girl should be walking around that part of town alone."

"No, I agree," I replied, my eyes wandering down to Abe's coat and scarf resting in my lap. "I think I just wanted to get out of the house so badly that common sense went out the door and so did I."

Dimitri's eyes followed where my went, studying the coat and scarf. "You weren't alone though, were you? That man with the coat and scarf was with you..." He murmured, deep in thought.

I remained silent, my hands clutching the coat.

"Who was he?"

Abe Mazur. My mind drifted towards yesterday, remembering how he was scouring through every corner of my mother's room. He was looking for something specific. Just then, I noticed a piece of paper tucked within the many folds of the jacket. He left me a note...

"Maya?"

I blinked a couple of times to help me escape from the realm of my own mind. "I'm sorry, I just got really tired. I think I need to rest, but we can talk when I wake up." Lies. I had a feeling the rest of my life would be made up with lies.

Dimitri stared at me for a few seconds. "...Maya, I don't know exactly what happened, but I'm here for you. Remember that, okay?" After that statement, he left the room, quietly letting the door close behind him.

I sighed and fell back into the pillows, pulling the piece of paper from the jacket. It was folded in a precise manner I wouldn't normally have expected from Abe. I carefully opened it up, surprised at how the length of the letter. I assume the note would only consist of about a paragraph or so, but instead was a page long monologue:

_Schoenberg,_

_I can t remember the last time I met such a beautiful and determined woman. Oh wait, yes, I do. Twelve years ago, I met the love of my life: Janine Hathaway. When I first saw her, I underestimated her. She was about as short as you are, but she carried more of a muscular stature, unlike your graceful limbs. Her personality made her seem so much taller than she actually was. She was fiery, fierce, passionate, witty - much like you._

_Of course, you probably understand just as well I do, our relationship was looked down upon. Janine Hathaway was a very well respected guardian, and who was I? I was like your mother, a sketchy Moroi involved in illegal business. Everyone thought Janine could do better, but being her stubborn self, she ignored them. We were happily in love, and nothing could change our feelings. Instead, every event seemed to strengthen our love. Eventually, we conceived a child and I cannot begin to express the joy I felt at the thought of starting a family with Janine._

_That's when everything changed. Janine began to question her decision. I didn't blame her - she was only 18 when she became pregnant. Any young woman would freak out at the thought of added responsibility. However, she wasn't only questioning her pregnancy, but she was questioning me as well. She wasn't comfortable with the thought of me being a father. I never told her what I did for a living - hell, I don t tell anyone what I do for a living. She loved me, but she didn't trust me, which hurt me the most. The only way I knew I could make things work was to leave her. Nothing could be done to change my reputation. In the end, I knew I was protecting Janine and my baby by not being involved in their lives._

_I've never met my daughter, Rosemarie Hathaway. I would imagine her to be like you, except for the fact that she s eleven. I wonder if I would recognize her if I saw her randomly walking on the streets. Would she have my eyes? And if she did find out who I was, would she hate me for not being in her life?_

_I'm sorry to hassle you with my thoughts. You are special, Maya. Something about you speaks to me, as if we re suppose to be connected in some way. An no, that was not intended to be sexual, unless you want it to be ;)_

_- Abe Mazur_

_P.S. I wrote my number on the back. Please don t hesitate to call if you ever need help._

I stared at the note, re-reading it multiple times before it actually sunk in. Abe Mazur left me a letter telling me about his life and his phone number. A part of me felt as if I had some historical document, some secret information nobody else had. I refolded the note and slipped it back into the coat, immediately knowing what I had to do.

I needed to get out of here.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Mobster; Noun

I hoped the Belikov family couldn t hear all my swearing as I tried to open the window. The cold weather had frozen it shut, and my body wasn t recovered to its original strength in order to force it open. Come on, come on, I whispered, trying to coax the window open. Finally, I heard a squeak and the icy wind enveloped the room.

I stuck my head out the window and looked down, estimating the fall I would have to make. Luckily, the distance didn t seem too dangerous and I threw my legs over the edge, dropping down to the ground. I bit my lip to try to take my mind off of the pain of the impact and slid Abe s coat and scarf on.

A part of me found it ironic that I was heading back home, the place I had originally been running away from. However, I knew I had to find Abe. After reading his letter, I couldn t go back to school without seeing him and telling him I was okay. Somehow I had a feeling he was right - we were connected together in an unexplainable way. My life and his had their parallels, intertwining our fates.

Fortunately, I wouldn t have to cross through the Moroi part of town. I really couldn t risk another gun shot, especially when Ivan wasn t here to heal me. I mentally cringed at the thought of his name, hating the way our last encounter ended. I could feel he was still partially mad at me, but mainly at himself. He wished he had come sooner, or offered to walk me to his place. He felt as if the incident was his fault.

A part of me wondered if he could feel what I was feeling, or hear my thoughts like I could his. _Answer me if you can_, I thought, trying to direct it toward him.

Silence.

Emptiness filled me. I wished there were some way to contact him, someway to make peace with what happened - just to discuss what even occurred, why I can hear his thoughts and feel his emotions. However, it seemed like I would just have to endure his guilty conscience until I saw him again when school started.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around me and a hand cover my mouth as the mysterious person dragged me into the alley way. My immediate instinct made me bite the hand and elbow my attacker in the face, forcing his grip to loosen enough where I could break free.

"Jesus, Schoenberg. How the hell do you manage to recover from a bullet one day and beat me up the next?"

"Abe!" My defensive attitude quickly disappeared, transforming into relief as I turned around and threw my arms around him. His body stiffened from the abrupt contact, but after a moment relaxed after he wrapped his arms around me.

"Never thought you would be so glad to see the man who was the reason you were hurt in the first place," He muttered.

"How do you know it was your fault? It could have been some psychotic person with a gun who just randomly shot and hit me." I was sick of people feeling guilty about my injury, it wasn't technically anyone s fault except for the person who shot the gun.

"...Maya, do you realize who I am?"

"You're Abe Mazur, the mobster."

He chuckled, looking down at me. "Mobster? Is that the technical term?"

"I believe so, yes. Mobster, noun. A member of a group which-"

He broke away from me, stepping back. "-Schoenberg, don't do this to me."

"Do what?"

"Be all cute and witty. I can't drag you into my mess. You've already been shot, and I can't handle it if you were put into more danger."

I watched his expression, which seemed conflicted. "If you don't recall, I'm going to be a guardian soon which means I'll be in dangerous situations all the time. Plus, my parents don't lend me much room for safety. And what about that letter you wrote?" I asked, digging into the jacket and pulling it out. "You said we had a connection. Listen, all I want is to tell you I'm okay and that if you needed help you could ask me."

Abe raised an eyebrow. "Are you proposing a mutual agreement between us?"

"Yes, I'll help you and you'll help me." Somehow I had a feeling I might be getting myself into more than I wanted to. However, something about Abe spoke to me in a way which nobody else did. I trusted him. This realization sent chills up my spine as I watched Abe's face, waiting for his next move.

"Then come with me," He commanded, grabbing my hand.

I knew better than to ask Abe any questions, for I was afraid of the answers he may or may not give me. Even though I trusted him, I didn't exactly feel comfortable getting involved in his work, especially since I didn't even know what his work was. My small stride lengths had to quicken in order to match his long ones and my eyes glanced around, taking in the familiar surroundings.

"You're taking me back home," I stated.

"Yes." He stopped and turned to face me. "And what I need you to do is really important. Are you sure you're up to it?"

I looked over Abe s shoulder and at the familiar building. "Am I suppose to find what you were looking for the other day?" I asked.

"Not really. I learned that your mother isn't going to play easy with me and give me what I want, so I need you to help make my point."

I didn't like the sound of that. I tried to keep my face neutral but I could feel my heart racing. "What do you mean?"

Abe hesitated, which hinted that he was as uncomfortable about this as I was. "...I need to take you hostage."

I placed my hands on my hips and gave him what I hoped was an intimidating glare. "No. Tell me what you want from my mom."

"If I tell you, will you go along with my plan?" He asked.

"Does your plan involve hurting my mom in any way?" I countered.

"I thought you didn't even like your mother!" Desperation filled his voice and I could tell he was losing his patience.

"...Fine, let s just do this." At the end of the day, I wouldn't be devastated if my mother died today. It would mean the end of my father s misery, and a part of me wondered if it would mean the end of people associating myself with her and her bloodwhore ways. "But you still need to tell me what you want from her," I quickly added.

"I need her blood."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Sketchy Business**

"Blood?"

"No more questions," Abe quickly responded as he pulled me towards the house.

I tried to fight against his grip, but it was a losing battle. "How do you expect me to cooperate after you told me you need my mother's blood?" I demanded.

He abruptly stopped, causing me to bump into him. "Oh, so you allow all these other Moroi men to enter and take advantage of your mother and suck out her blood, but the instant I only want her blood you freak out."

I glared at him. "There's a difference between you and all the other Moroi men who visit my mother."

Abe raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well, do enlighten me, Schoenberg."

"You always have an ulterior motive, whereas the other men just have a one-track mind."

He laughed, pulling me even closer to him. He bent his face down close to mine. I could feel his breath caress my skin as he whispered to me. "I guess you do understand who I really am after all." I kept my glare as intimidating as possible, but it had no effect on him. "Of course, I wonder if your blood would be similar to your mother's," He added, his head tilting down to my neck. I shivered as soon as I felt his lips against my throat. I tried to pull myself away, but Abe's grip on me remained strong.

Anger filled through me, but it wasn't my anger.

It was Ivan's.

I could see myself with Abe through his eyes. Ivan's hatred for Abe surprised me - Abe was the one who should have really protected me from the bullet, Abe was the one who should have done something instead of let me suffer, if I hadn't been with Abe I probably wouldn't have been shot. Slowly, step by step, Ivan came closer to me and Abe, but I couldn't get out of his head.

"Ivan..." I heard my own voice say.

Abe's head bounced up away from my neck and made eye contact with me - I mean, Ivan. Ugh. This was going to get annoying.

"Ivan, what are you doing here?" I asked.

My words were like a bucket of cold water, forcing me back into my own mind. Abe still kept his grip on me, but seemed more interested in Ivan than me. I didn't quite understand the tension between the two men - of course, I didn't understand what exactly happened between the two of them the night I was shot.

"I had a feeling you might be coming here...and I just wanted to see you again. I didn't expect him to be here with you."

I had a feeling you might be coming here. I wondered if Ivan could feel me somewhat through the bond-connection-thingy that occurred between us. I honestly didn't understand what was going on. Abe, however, seemed as if he was ready to take over the conversation.

"To be fair, I didn't expect you to show up either."

With Ivan's anger still surging through me, I finally shoved myself out of Abe's grip and placed myself between the two of them. "I didn't expect to have a bullet hit me," I hissed. "What the hell happened last night anyway? Do either one of you care to explain to me what I missed while I almost died?"

Both of them stared at me, shocked at my outburst.

"Maya..." Ivan seemed at a loss for words for once in his life. He was uncomfortable with the topic. He knew I could feel his emotions, I could hear his thoughts. He didn't know about my invasion into his head recently, but it didn't matter. Either way we were both bound to each other. _You'd think I'm crazy if I told you,_ he thought to me.

"You're not crazy," I replied to him. "You're not the one feeling every emotion or hearing thoughts in your head."

Abe glanced between both Ivan and me, obviously confused by my last statement and how it applied to the conversation.

"Maya, what if I told you I brought you back from the dead?" Ivan stated.

Silence followed this question. I glanced over at Abe. He was there when Ivan apparently healed me, and maybe he would have some insight into what actually happened. "He's right," Abe finally admitted. "I remember holding you in my arms and your breathing stopped..." He paused for a moment, and I couldn't identify the expression he wore on his face. "That's when he showed up and did some weird healing magic and you came back to life..."

"So why can I hear your thoughts and feel your emotions?" I asked Ivan.

He held up the books which had been tucked under his arm. "I've actually been reading up on this stuff long before last night-"

"-Whoa. Hold on. You read something? And it wasn't even for school?"

Abe snickered, but stopped once Ivan glared at him.

"Yes. Believe it or not. I had to find out why I wasn't specializing."

This was news to me. I had never paid attention much to Ivan when it came to academics. "What do you mean you weren't specializing? Aren't all Moroi seniors suppose to be taking a specialized class?"

"Suppose to, but I'm not," He replied. "Dimitri and I have been looking into it-"

"-You and Dimitri?"

Ivan sighed. "Yes, Dimitri and I have been researching about this without you, which means your lover has been lying to you. However, considering how I just saw you with Abe, I think you might be lying about a few things as well."

I flushed in embarrassment. "It wasn't what you think..." I muttered.

"Lover?" Abe questioned.

"Really? That's what you took out of this conversation so far?" I remarked. The last thing I needed was for Abe to be somehow involved in my love life.

Abe shrugged. "The way you were flirting with me last night made me think you didn't have a boyfriend."

"I was not flirting with you," I informed him.

"I don't blame you if you were." he countered, "I mean, I am pretty hard to resist. It's the suit, isn't it? Or is it my charming personality? Or both?"

Ivan stared at me and Abe, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized us. It wasn't in a judgemental way, but more in an observational way. "How long have you two known each other?" he asked.

"Not even a day, fortunately," I replied, in which I received a sour look from Abe. "Why?"

Ivan shook his head. "It doesn't matter right now...Is there any way I can talk to Maya alone?" He asked, glancing over at Abe.

Abe smirked. "Sure, under one condition."

I glared at him, immediately knowing his motives had redirected toward my mother's blood again. However, Ivan didn't know better. He knew Abe Mazur was not a man to normally do business with, but as of right now he would do anything to be able to have some time for us to talk alone.

"Uh, okay, I guess. What exactly do you want me to do?" Ivan asked.

"Use compulsion."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Magic In My Blood**

This whole situation was becoming more ridiculous by the second.

"Oh no, Ivan is not going to use compulsion on my mother for her blood."

Ivan glanced at me, shocked. "Wait, what?"

Abe glared down at me. "Then what do you suggest?"

I sighed. "I don't know because you won't even tell me why you need her blood in the first place!"

Abe hesitantly looked back and forth between me and Ivan. "I use them in tattoos."

A part of me realized I was finding out more about Abe and his work than most people ever would, and that any wrong move could mean putting Ivan and I into a dangerous situation. "Tattoos?" I asked.

"...Yes, I collect Moroi blood and put them into ink used for tattoos. Humans, especially in America, seem to like them because it gives them powers."

I stared at him in shock. Was he actually serious? Selling Moroi blood to humans, even in tattoos, was very wrong and very illegal. I didn't want my mother involved in this scheme, no matter how much I disliked her. "Why my mother's blood?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer. My mother had magical abilities. She controlled fire magic, but also had other magic she used. Most believed it was witchcraft, allowing us to see visions of the future and sense other spirits. It had been passed down through my family on my mom's side and unfortunately I have experienced plenty of paranormal activities in my lifetime.

"Her blood is unique and the side effects of the tattoo are very appealing to a majority of the markets I sell to, but unfortunately I can't get enough to sell to everyone who wants it."

Ivan's face had lost all of its color. He was sick at the thought of Moroi blood tattoos, but he was ready to give up his blood before Abe ever got a hold of my mother's.

"Take mine," I told Abe.

Ivan immediately sprinted in front of me, blocking me from him. "No way. Maya, I don't know how you even got involved with a sketchy guy like him, but I will not allow you to do this."

I walked up close to Ivan and took his hand. "Ivan, trust me," I whispered.

He saw the determination in my eyes. He trusted me, but he didn't trust Abe. He couldn't bare the thought of Abe taking my blood. He had seen the way our auras intertwined together, how they magically glowed when they were around each other. It didn't make sense to Ivan how Abe and I seemed so connected to one another when we had barely known each other for a day.

"Ivan, I trust him. He won't hurt me."

"He let a bullet hit you."

"That wasn't his fault." I squeezed his hand before letting go and walking around him, toward Abe. "Take mine," I repeated.

"Did you not listen to me? I need Moroi blood. Plus, I can't take your blood..."

"Why not? I know why my mother's blood is a hot commodity and I can guarantee my blood will be the same," I reasoned.

Abe backed away. "Ivan, take her away. Go talk to her."

I glanced between the two of them. "No! What about my mother? Are you just going to barge into my house again?" If Abe was going to take my mother's blood, I wanted to be there.

"I won't do anything to your mom, Maya, and I won't do anything else to you."

The words felt like a punch to the gut. "What do you mean?"

"Ivan's right: I was the reason you were shot in the first place. I can't dare put you in any more danger."

Ivan quickly grabbed my arm and began to drag me away. I fought against him, unwilling to let either one of the men to feel guilty for my bullet wound. However, my body began to weaken and Ivan easily pulled me away from Abe. I was disgusted by the smug relief that ran through him.

"Hold on," I snapped. I pulled off Abe's coat and scarf and chucked them at him. "You might need those later on," I told him.

Abe stared down at the two articles of clothing, but glanced up making eye contact with me. For only seeing those eyes for the first time barely a day ago, I understood what expression they wore: Till we meet again.

Indeed, Abe Mazur was a man who would never cease to completely leave my life.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: The Unexpected Romantic

"Spirit!"

Dimitri and I glanced up from the book we were examining together toward the enthusiastic Ivan, who sprung up like a slinky. "Spirit?" I asked. "Did you just have some religious metamorphosis?" Ivan frequently skipped church ceremonies, openly expressing his dislike of organized religions.  
Amused, Ivan slapped the book onto my lap. "It's everywhere in the books. 'He used spirit to bring those back'; 'by the power of spirit he could truly see people and all their colors'. It's the only logical answer."

"Can you use spirit to stop harassing me?" I joked. My legs stung from the impact of the book.  
Ivan smirked. "Afraid not, sister. That's just Ivan, not spirit."

"Fantastic," I sarcastically muttered, glancing up at the clock. It was almost nine o'clock and both Dimitri and Ivan would have to leave the girls' dorm room soon. Being back at St. Basil's brought some structure into my life once again - something I dearly needed after the experiences I had during our one week gas-leak-break. Of course, being shot caused quite a rumor mill within the school when I came back. Students I don't remember ever seeing before began questioning me about what happened. Luckily, no one asked about Abe Mazur. It was almost as if I had never been involved with him in the first place.

"Ivan, we should probably start heading out to our dorm," Dimitri advised.

"Fine," he reluctantly agreed, gathering the books which had scattered themselves across the room throughout the span of the night. Ivan felt as if we hadn't made much progress tonight and didn't want to leave now when he finally made some sort of discovery.

"We can meet again tomorrow night," I mentioned, hoping to uplift Ivan's mood. He gave me a small smile, but the words hadn't comforted him much. Something more was troubling him, but he was very careful to not let me dig into that part of his mind.

"I guess," Ivan replied as he headed toward the door. "Good-night Maya."

Once the door closed behind Ivan, Dimitri helped me up to my feet and pulled me close to him. "You sure you still don't want to talk about it?" He whispered in my ear. Dimitri knew me too well. I knew he could tell I still hadn't emotionally recovered from the week-long break.

"We don't have time to talk right now," I reasoned. In all honesty, I didn't want to admit to Dimitri that I was with Abe at the time of the shooting. Ivan had been nice enough to not mention anything, but I knew I could only hold off the topic for so long.

Dimitri's lips traveled from my ear to my forehead. "Maya, do you not trust me?" His voice remained a whisper, but sounded almost offended.

The tone of his voice hurt me more than I expected it to. "I trust you completely. I just don't want you involved in my messes."

"You can't do everything by yourself."

"I can try," I replied with a grin.

"I'd rather you wouldn't." The pain in Dimitri's eyes surprised and tortured me all at the same time. My heart ached as I realized I was the one causing Dimitri so much pain and worry.

"...Dimka...it's not that I don't want you involved in my life, it's just that..."

The door slammed opened. "You coming?" Ivan asked Dimitri.

You can thank me later for this, he thought to me. I gave him a small smile, hoping it was discreet enough so Dimitri couldn't tell my relief of Ivan's interference.

"Good night Maya," Dimitri told me. His eyes still regarded me warmly even after our small dispute, and he surprised me when he kissed me fiercely.

"Do you want to give me a warning next time?" I joked once we broke apart, trying to remember what oxygen was.

"What would be the fun in that?" Dimitri teased as he followed Ivan out the door. Ivan simply shrugged, but his eyes conveyed a smug satisfaction in knowing that I was still unsure about my relationship with Dimitri. Hell, after the break I had, I was confused about everything. I'll talk to you later tonight, he thought to me.

Later tonight? What did that mean? Was he going to invade my dorm room in the middle of the night unexpectedly? My mind was left with unanswered questions as Ivan and Dimitri closed the door behind them, leaving me alone in my room. I sunk into my bed and sighed. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep yet, and I had no other homework to complete. Granted, I never really did my homework anyway.

I rolled over and spotted Abe's note tucked underneath my textbooks. I slid it out and unfolded it, glancing over the familiar phone number I had come to memorize. Reaching an uncomfortable distance, I touched the phone, but stopped before picking it up. I recalled Ivan's anger as he saw me and Abe together. I thought of Dimitri and my father, both of which would be disappointed in me for being involved with Abe. I refolded the note and placed in its original place, suddenly feeling lonely and empty as I stared up at the ceiling.

_Maya, do you remember that dream?_

Ivan's directed thought scared me at first, but after a few moments I fully comprehended what he asked. I immediately knew which dream he was talking about: the one in which we were at St. Basil's, laying by each other...

_I created that dream. Well, created isn't the right word. It was more like I walked into your dream_.

He created that dream? So, in a way, he was sharing my dream with me? That meant when he kissed me-

_I really wanted to talk to you about something, but I couldn't do it when Dimitri was nearby. If you want to talk to me, try to fall asleep in the next half-hour and I'll try to walk into your dream._

I debated whether or not I should allow Ivan to walk in my dreams. Quite frankly, the whole concept freaked me out. However, I felt obligated to meet him in my dream since we were bond-mates and especially since he couldn't hear my thoughts or feel my emotions.

I closed my eyes and allowed the silent surrounding lull me to sleep.

_I was still at St. Basil's, standing outside the front church doors, staring at the rest of campus as snow aggressively fell down to the ground. The wind whipped my hair into my face and I pulled my coat closer to myself to keep warm. I felt an arm - Ivan's arm - wrap around my waist and pull me closer to him, the warm of his body relieving me of my constant shivering._

_"You showed up after all," he mused, glancing down at me. Our proximity made his eyes dance and his grin widen. "I was worried you wouldn't. But, of course, you're Maya Schoenberg and even after someone tells you they can dreamwalk, you show up."_

_"I think you make me sound more gutsy than I actually am."_

_"So says the one who was with Abe Mazur," he teased._

_"You're never going to let up on that, are you?"_

_His expression softened. "I just still don't understand how you got caught up with a man like him and the way you two acted around each other."_

_"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't really understand how I got caught up with Abe either," I reassured him. "Is this all that you wanted to talk to me about?"_

_"Geez, you make it sound like you have some other plans, but no, I needed to talk to you about something else," Ivan explained. "If that's okay," he added. I couldn't quite place what was wrong, but Ivan seemed different in this dream. He was more cautious about how he spoke to me, and it made me feel uncomfortable. What did he really want to talk about?_

_"It's fine," I assured him. "But can we go inside? It's kind of cold out here."_

_Ivan grinned, returning back to more of his old self. "I thought the chilly weather added some romantic element," he joked, pulling me closer to him._

_"Yeah, I guess, if you want to be frozen together till the end of time," I joked, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the church which was a considerably more inviting temperature._

_"That was actually my plan all along, but I guess a church works too. I mean, people get married in churches all the time, right?" Ivan pulled his jacket off, revealing a gray sweater that fit a little too nicely against his muscular chest._

_"Marriage? Man, I didn't think you committed to anything." I followed suite and took off my coat, pleased by my outfit underneath: a red velvet dress, black tights, and booties._

_"Maya, I think you should know by now that I'm full of surprises."_

_"Then surprise me."_

_"Close your eyes."_

_I obeyed, slowly closing my eyes, waiting for Ivan to tell me to open my eyes, but he never did. Instead, I felt his warm, soft lips against mine. His overwhelming emotions caused me to struggle as I pushed myself away from him._

_"Did you not see Dimitri kiss me tonight?" I asked, trying to bring him back to reality._

_"Well, yeah, I did, but-"_

_"-Isn't there some, I don't know, bro code you guys follow? I mean, you can't just kiss the sort-of girlfriend of your best friend!"_

_"You seemed to like it last time," Ivan smirked._

_I glared at him, grabbed my coat, and stormed out the door. I couldn't distinguish my feelings from his and I kept switching back and forth from his mind to mine, his strong emotions luring me into his head. Everything was a blur._

_"Maya!"_

_I tried my best to ignore his voice and his emotions, allowing the freezing weather to numb myself from the rest of the world._

_"Maya!"_

_Ivan finally reached me, grabbing my shoulders and turning me around into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, tightly clinging me to him. All the sudden sobs escaped from me as if all the emotion I had been hiding since my almost-death came out all at once. I clutched Ivan's sweater, trying to cling onto anything for comfort._

_"Maya, do you know how much I love you?" He whispered into my ear._

_"Enough to invade my dreams?" I softly joked, my voice being muffled by Ivan's sweater._

_He chuckled. "Enough to bring you back to life, no matter what the consequences."_

_"Dammit Ivan, when did you become such a romantic?"_

_"Since forever; you just haven't noticed it until now." His hands gently pushed the stray strands of hair away from my face. "You're the only one that makes me feel normal."_

_I glanced up at him, confused._

_"...Spirit, or whatever it is, it eats away at me. Sometimes I find it hard to distinguish dreaming from reality, but when you're around everything is clear as can be. Being around you is more addictive than you could ever imagine, Maya."_

_A moment of silence passed before I responded. "I think that's the most profound thing I've ever heard you say."_

_Ivan smirked. "I try." His happy emotions couldn't help but seep into me as he leaned into me-_

My door slammed open, startling me awake from my sleep. I quickly sat up and rubbed my eyes as they came into focus.

Arthur Schoenberg stood at the entry way.

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

"What were you doing with Abe Mazur?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: A Choice Not Made**

The question completely caught me off guard. I hadn't expected my father to barge in, much less ask about Abe Mazur. No one had known or questioned about Abe except for Dimitri and Ivan, and I quickly wondered if either one of them had told my father about the incident.

"Excuse me?" I replied, acting like I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Maya, you were with Abe Mazur over the week long break. Your mother called and told me so."

Anger welled up inside me. My mother had apparently been involved with Abe for years, but the instant I had one contact with the man my father is practically breathing down my neck. "I don't think mom is the most reliable source," I muttered.

My father sighed and took a seat beside me on the bed. "I'm not trying to accuse you of anything. I'm just concerned. I don't like the way we left things off before the break and...I don't know...I thought you were rebelling in some way."

I warily glanced over at him, knowing it wasn't worth trying to hide the truth. "I wasn't trying to rebel. I guess it was more I was at the wrong place at the wrong time and I...I..." I struggled to say the next part, "I don't think Abe is that bad."

My father was silent for a moment, staring at me in shock. "Maya, do you realize who Abe Mazur is?"

"Yes, but have you ever met him before? Or are you just assuming things about him from what you've heard?"

"Maya, it's Abe Mazur's job to manipulate people-"

"-Do you think I'm not strong willed enough to handle Abe?" Each moment of this conversation made me want to smack my father harder and harder until his mouth fell off.

_Maya, is everything okay?_ Ivan's thoughts startled me, reminding me of the once again confusing dream I had with him. I felt bad for making him worry and abruptly leaving the dream. Of course, I had no way of answering him back, so I had to continue my annoying conversation with my father.

"Maya, isn't it my job to worry about my daughter? I mean, for crying out loud, you were shot! I can't just sit here idly and act like it never happened! What kind of father would I be then?" I had never seen my father get so worked up before and it made me feel miserable, as if I had deeply disappointed him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, so quietly that I could barely hear myself.

My father sighed again, silently accepting my apology. I knew he hated upsetting me. "...I'm going to the US."

"What?" I hadn't expected this plot twist. "Why?"

"I'm going to guard for the Badicas, but...I might not anymore. I could wait until you graduate. I don't want to leave you...especially now..."

"Go." The word hurt me more than I allowed to show. Of course I didn't want him to leave, but I couldn't let him miss out on this opportunity.

My father's face transformed immediately. I knew he had missed being a guardian after he retired, and my approval meant the world for him. "Thank you," he told me as he hugged me tight to him. "Thank you so much."

"Dad, you're a legend, why shouldn't you be a guardian again?" I rhetorically asked, kissing his cheek.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Absolutely," I lied. Of course I wasn't completely comfortable with my father being abroad, but I couldn't stop him. Technically I was 18 and could make my own decisions anyway, so there was no reason to keep my father around any longer. He was better off using his full potential to guard royal Moroi rather than keep track of his teenage daughter. "I'm proud of you, Papa."

"I'm proud of you too. You're going to be a great guardian for Ivan."

"Ivan?" My heart raced, wondering if my father knew more than he let on. Did he know about the bond between me and Ivan?

"Well, don't tell anyone else, but we've started to select future guardians for Moroi already. I've made sure you and Dimitri were assigned to Ivan," my father explained, winking at me. His infatuation with my relationship with Dimitri would never cease to diminish, and I rolled my eyes in response.

"Thanks, I guess," I awkwardly replied, unsure how I felt about this news. "I should probably get some sleep."

"Of course," he agreed, getting up off of my bed. "Good-night sweetie." He kissed my forehead before heading out of my room, quietly closing the door behind him.

I buried my head into my pillow, tempted to scream but controlled my overwhelming emotions. Once again, silence surrounded me and I almost wished for the company of my father or Ivan again, even if it was just in a dream. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing, the rhythm causing me to fall asleep.

_"Maya?"_

_Ivan stood in front of me. We were in the same setting as before: a snowy St. Basil's campus. His blue eyes worriedly studied me._

_"Sorry, my father barged into my room and began interrogating me about Abe Mazur of all things."_  
_"That must have been a lovely conversation."_

_I rolled my eyes. "You have no idea." I decided not to tell him about my father's new assignment. It wasn't my news to tell people, it was my father's. However, I couldn't help but blurt out the other news I had recently discovered. "He told me they were working on assignments early. Apparently they have you, Dimitri, and I paired together."_

_He perked up and I could sense his mood lifted even more at what he considered to be good news. "Really?"_

_I nodded in response, but a question kept lingering in my mind. "...Why are you suddenly interested in me now? Why me, when you know about Dimitri and I..."_

_His expression softened and he placed his hand on my shoulder. "...I'm not doing this to hurt you or Dimitri. I'm trying to think of life after graduation, and I hate to tell you this, but there's no way you and Dimitri will be able to live your happy-ever-after, especially with the way both of you are so dedicated to guardianship."_

_In the back of my mind, I knew Ivan was right, but I had never wanted to fully consider that scenario. Hearing it from Ivan made me cringe a little bit, but I managed to stay strong as he continued his explanation._

_"...I just thought..." Ivan hesitated for a moment, which was very out of character for him. He usually always had something to say. "...I just thought that if you were to have a future with any Moroi man, why not have it be with a friend?"_

_I backed up and stared at him in shock, surprised not only by what he said but also the loving emotions running through him. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"_

_Ivan laughed. "No, don't worry. I'm not going to get on one knee and propose right now, but I think both you and I know that this is the best option. I love you, Maya, and I don't need any time to think through this decision. However, I think you need time to think this through."_

_I stood there, unable to completely comprehend what he was saying. "...What about Dimitri?" I finally asked after a few awkward moments of silence._

_"...I already talked to him about it," he sheepishly replied. "That may or may not have been the reason he kissed you like that before we left. You know, because that could be the last time."_

_They had already discussed this? Dimitri was okay with this? Of course he was, he always wanted the best for me, and if he were to give me up to anyone, Ivan would be so lucky to have the honors. This time I really had no words. I simply stared at Ivan._

_He cautiously stepped closer to me and gently traced my jawline before lightly kissing my lips._

I jolted awake, this time not of my own choosing. Ivan had ended the dream all on his own. I rolled over and saw the sun's rays seeping into my room. "How can it possibly be morning already?" I asked myself. I felt as if I had not gotten any sleep last night between my father's visit and Ivan's invasion. I trudged over to the bathroom and pulled my hair up into a messy bun right on top of my head. Since it was the weekend and I had no classes to go to, and I didn't really care about my appearance as I slipped on a pair of boots and a jacket before heading outside.

I jogged to the boy's dorm room, trying to get out of the chilly weather as soon as possible. By the time I reached the dorms, the drastic change in temperature was almost a shock to the system. I ignored the complaints of my body as I bolted up the stairs until I reached Ivan and Dimitri's room. I knocked on the door and the door opened immediately as if they knew I would be coming.

The expression on Dimitri's face was indistinguishable as he opened the door for me. "Hi," I awkwardly said.

"...Hey," he replied. He seemed to be distancing himself away from me, and if I hadn't known any better, I would have been offended.

Ivan's reaction was the exact opposite. "Maya! What a lovely surprise!" He grin looked more expansive than Siberia itself, and he guided me into one of the lounge chairs in their room. "What can we do for you today?"

"Did I walk into the wrong place? You sound more like a nosy retailer than an obnoxious teenage boy."

Ivan's grin only widened and he glanced over at Dimitri. "She came with some attitude today."

"When doesn't she have attitude?" Dimitri joked.

"Are you two done discussing about me like I'm not here?" I had to admit, my response was like a double-edged sword because both Dimitri and Ivan immediately became uncomfortable with the topic I introduced. "I don't need any time to think about your proposition," I told Ivan.

Ivan's grin dropped, and he studied me, trying to interpret my aura. "What do you mean?" He asked.  
I glanced between Ivan's and Dimitri's eyes, unable to believe what came out of my mouth next, "I can't be with either one of you."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: The Serpent's Unintentional Kidnapping**

The next few months passed by awkwardly. I was still friends with both Dimitri and Ivan, and normally we got along as we had before. However, there was always the slight uneasiness between Dimitri and Ivan. I always felt like I was being pulled either way. Also, the fact that my father wasn't working at the school anymore didn't help. Soon enough, I found myself hanging out with some of the other few female guardians I hadn't hung out with in a while more than Ivan or Dimitri.

Alla Frinovskii was approximately a foot taller than me, and between her curvaceous body and blonde hair, I felt inferior as I walked next to her down the hallway. She chattered away as usual, waving to classmates as she passed them in the hallway. I simply stared as they passed us. I wasn't one for smiles and giggles - I was known for my smart-ass attitude and unique fighting style, not for my friendliness. "I can't believe Dimitri beat you today during combat class," she finally mentioned.

I sighed, knowing I couldn't avoid the topic. I had to admit that my grades were slowly lowering once my father left and I couldn't concentrate on school when I constantly felt Ivan's unexpected emotions running through me. I simply shrugged in response. "I felt bad for him. He needed to win," I lied.

Alla laughed. "It's normally the other way around. I feel like Dimitri always tries to let you win."

"That's not true."

She rolled her eyes. "Are you really that blind, Maya? The guy's in love with you. He wouldn't let a fly hurt you."

I immediately felt Ivan's amused emotion and noticed him just a little farther down the hallway, close enough to where he could hear our conversation. "He's not in love with me," I lied again. "...And even if he was, we can't be together."

Alla's facial expression told me she understood. "Yeah. I suppose so. It sucks though, doesn't it? I mean, I want to be a guardian and I've spent my whole life training to be one, but at the end of the day we can't live our own lives."

Ivan's emotion completely switched from amused to pain once he heard what Alla said. I glanced over at him, surprised. "Hi," I shyly told him.

"Oh, hey Ivan!" Alla greeted, returning back to her cheerful and friendly self. "I didn't even notice you there. Your hair looks nice today," she complimented him. Her flushed cheeks and radiant eyes told me everything: she had a crush on him.

I smirked, turning my attention from Alla to Ivan. However, Ivan didn't pay attention at all to Alla's friendly conversation. "Thanks," he lamely replied as he stared at me. Suddenly, his eyes perked up and he gave Alla a dazzling smile. "I hate to say this but I need to talk to Maya. Can you leave?"

"Sure! I'll see you later," she told both of us before she left and began chatting with another student.

"What was that? Did you just use compulsion?" I asked him.

He shrugged and grinned. "If that's what it takes to get us alone together," he joked.

"You're crazy," I told him, turning to leave. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back around to face him. Our faces were only an inch apart and I sheepishly looked over to make sure other students weren't paying attention. "What's this all about?" I asked.

"Does there always have to be a reason?" He replied. "I feel like I haven't seen you in a long time, that's all."

"Well, you see me now."

"...I do, but it's not the same Maya I'm used to. Something's bothering you." The concern in Ivan's eyes made my heart flutter and I instantly swore at myself for feeling this way.

"It's nothing," I mumbled.

"...Maya, please. If you can't tell me what's wrong, can you at least tell me what to do to make it better?"

"Go away." I regretted the words as soon as I said them.

"Okay." Ivan complied with my order and let go of my hand. "Just remember if you need to talk, I'm here, okay?" He told me before he left.

Emptiness completely filled me once I could not see him anymore. It didn't matter if other students passed by, without Ivan the hallway felt completely isolated. I wrapped my arms around myself as if to comfort me, but it didn't help. Instead, I went to my room and laid in my bed. I dozed off and on until I heard my phone ring. I slowly rose up and recognized Dimitri's number. I groaned. I can't catch a break.

"Hey," I awkwardly answered. "What's up?"

"I don't know where Ivan is."

"What do you mean? He's not in your room?"

"By the way it looks, he's not even on campus. I've been searching for the past hour and a half, but I haven't been able to find him anywhere. Alla told me you talked to him before he disappeared. Do you have any idea where he could be?"

My heart sunk as I remembered the last thing I told him: Go away. "...I'm not sure, but I'll see if I can find anything out," I replied.

"Okay..." Dimitri seemed disappointed with the lack of results, and I could feel tears well up into my eyes, knowing this was all my fault.

"Dimitri..." I couldn't finish my sentence. I didn't even know what I wanted to say. A sob accidentally escaped and I tried to contain myself.

"Maya, are you okay? What's going on?"

"...It's all my fault. I...I don't know where he is, but I...I promise I'll...find him." I hung up the phone as quick as I could and dialed the only number I knew would help. I took some deep breaths as I waited for him to pick up. Come on, come on, come on...

"Abe Mazur speaking."

"It's Maya."

"Jesus, Shoenberg, you sound horrible. What's wrong?"

"Ivan disappeared and I don't know where he went."

There was a moment of silence before Abe responded. "And you think I can help?"

I wiped the tears from my face. "Well, I figured you're Abe Mazur. You can do whatever the hell you want."

Hearing his laugh suddenly made everything feel better. "Luckily, I have good news for you because Ivan's right next to me."

"I don't believe you," I immediately replied. "Why would-?" My response was cut off my Ivan's thoughts invading my mind. He's right. I'm with him.

Why is he with Abe? "Where are you?" I asked.

"Whoa, Schoenberg. Why are you so quick to be near me? Have you missed me that much?"

"Terribly," I sarcastically replied. "I haven't seen a more handsome face since seeing yours."

I could practically see his smirk through the phone. "Well, I can't help but admit I've missed your entertaining company. However, I can't let you come and meet us in case you get yourself in trouble again...which I feel is a very likely scenario. Ivan and I will come to your room." He hung up after that, leaving me sitting on my bed in silence.

Since I knew Ivan was safe, I decided I should inform Dimitri so he wouldn't worry anymore. I called him and he picked up instantly. "Hey, Ivan's okay," I told him. "He's just meeting with someone off campus and he's heading back now."

"Who?" Dimitri unexpectedly asked.

"I don't know, he didn't specify," I lied. I hated lying to Dimitri, but I couldn't let him know Ivan and I were somehow involved with Abe Mazur. Lying to him would keep him safe from the dangerous business Abe partook in. "I'm just glad he's safe."

"Me too," Dimitri agreed. A long moment of silence occurred before he said anything else, "...I won't be mad if you and Ivan end up together."

"Dimitri, I really don't want to talk about this."

"Why shouldn't we talk about it? Maya, Ivan's a great guy, and if I were you I would take the opportunity to end up with a guy like him rather than like those guys who abuse your mother."

I cringed at the thought of my mother. "...I'm happy you care about my future, but I think I need to make the decision about Ivan by myself."

"...Am I the one stopping you from making that decision?"

Dimitri's question baffled me. "What do you mean?"

"...Do..." He stopped for a moment, hesitating as he attempted to ask his next question. "...Do you love me?"

"Of course I do, but I love you like you're my brother. Dimitri, don't feel guilty about anything. It isn't your problem to worry about," I told him, right as someone knocked the door. That was quick. "Sorry, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow in class." I hung up the phone and opened the door to see the familiar face of Abe Mazur.

He smirked as he studied me. "Hello, darling."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: The Serpent's Monologue**

I couldn't help but smile back at Abe. Something about him made me feel comfortable; however, seeing Ivan behind him relieved me. "Ivan!" I exclaimed as I pushed past Abe and threw my arms around Ivan.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier," I muttered, burying my face into his chest. "Don't ever leave again."

"I didn't mean to make you worry," he replied, tightly wrapping his arms around me. "I just wanted to try and cheer you up, and for some strange, unknown reason Abe's the one to do it."

"I can't tell if I should feel honored or not," Abe joked.

I laughed and let go from Ivan. "You should. Let's go inside before anyone notices you're here."

Ivan, Abe, and I all entered my small dorm room and settled down wherever there was space. "I told Abe about our 'bond'," Ivan explained. "I was trying to ask him if he knew anything else about spirit."

"Unfortunately, I've never heard of such a thing," Abe said. He seemed disappointed by this fact. Of course, I had a feeling Abe was disappointed anytime he didn't know about something, considering he stuck in nose into everything.

"This whole spirit thing weirds me out. How come no one else has heard of it before? How come no one else has specialized in it? None of this is piecing together," I rambled.

Ivan had just as many doubts as I did. "I know, we don't have any facts, just ideas. I'm not quite sure where to go from here."

"...I'll try to look into it," Abe offered. "I can't guarantee that I'll find anything, but I'm willing to try."  
"Really? That would be great," I told him as I glanced up. However, Abe and Ivan were looking at each other as if they were sending each other secret messages. "What's going on?" I asked.

"Oh, uh, Abe wanted to talk to you alone. I'll just wait outside," Ivan awkwardly said as he left the room and quietly shut the door behind him.

Being alone in a room with Abe made my heart race. He was always so unpredictable in everything he did, and I wasn't sure what version of Abe I should be ready for. "What can I do for you?" I pleasantly asked.

"Well, there's lots of things I want you to do for me," Abe replied, mischievously grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "Do you flirt with all girls who just recently turned 18?"

"Just the cute ones," he teased as he winked at me.

"Seriously, what is this about? I doubt you wanted to get Ivan out of the room just to get in my pants." I stopped for a moment. "Well, actually, I don't doubt that."

Abe smirked and took a seat by me. "No, actually, that's not why I'm here. I wanted to talk to you about Ivan."

I sighed. "Not you too."

He placed his hand on my back as if to comfort me. "I can't sit by and watch you end up with someone like me."

I glanced up at him and gave him a questioning look.

"...If I could go back, I would have tried to let Janine end up with someone else, someone who she would've trusted and felt comfortable with. Even though she loved me, it wasn't enough to keep us together. Ivan came to me because he wanted to know how to help make you cheerful again.

Apparently your 'aura' glows when you're around me. You deserve someone like Ivan, someone who will go crazy lengths to make sure you're the one who's happiest at the end of the day. Only those who truly love you bring you back from the dead."

I stared at him in shock and unsure how to respond.

He laughed. "I think that's the first time I've ever made you speechless."

"How am I suppose to respond to a whole monologue like that?" I argued.

"I think that's the point. You didn't respond because you know I'm right."

I began to protest, but stopped once Abe unexpectedly kissed my forehead. "Stay safe, Schoenberg. You always seem to find trouble wherever you go." He left my room after that and Ivan entered again. Staring at him, I knew both Abe and Dimitri were right. Ivan was the one who revived me and the one who over and over again came to comfort me. At that moment I realized he was the one for me.

"Hey," he greeted as he took a seat next to me on my bed. "Is it okay that I let Abe talk to you? I wasn't sure what he wanted to talk to you about, but it seemed pretty urgent."

"It's fine. He didn't harass me too badly," I joked. "I'm sorry you had to wait awkwardly outside."  
Ivan shrugged. "I didn't mind."

"Of course you don't," I sighed. "I feel like I've been such a bitch. I mean, you've been so nice to me ever since the shooting incident, and all I've done is whine and complain."

"Maya, I think both you and I know there's more to the picture than that. Your dad left and I can tell it's been bugging you. Plus, keeping this whole 'Abe Mazur' thing a secret from Dimitri isn't helping either, and on top of that, we don't understand the emotional bond we have or spirit. I think you're allowed to complain and whine." His eyes practically bore into my soul as he held my hands. "We'll get through this together, okay? You're not alone in this."

I squeezed his hands. "...How come you aren't freaking out like I am?"

He scoffed. "Don't give me so much credit. I'm freaking out, just not in the same manner you are." He let go of my hands and traced my cheek. "It's been worse since you haven't been around as much as before."

"...Sorry about that. I just felt like both you and Dimitri were trying to pull me to opposite sides. I needed some space."

"Understandable. I wish there's something I can do to make this better..."

I stared at Ivan for a few moments before giving my answer, "...Kiss me."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen: Five Vs. One**

The rest of my senior year passed quickly. I ended up ranking second in my class, right after Dimitri. Surprisingly, dating Ivan made me happier than I ever had been before. Even though I had been worried about things being awkward between Dimitri and I, he seemed accepting of my relationship with Ivan and we were able to keep a casual friendship. Of course, it was necessary that we got along if we were both going to be guarding Ivan. My father was right and both Dimitri and I were assigned to guard him.

If I was going to be completely honest, being a guardian was not all it was cracked up to be. I felt as if it was an anticlimactic ending to the extreme training all of us went through. After four years of being Ivan's guardian, neither Dimitri nor I had run into any Strigoi. I guess I should consider myself lucky, but I couldn't quite help but want some excitement back into my life.

I hadn't run into Abe ever since our last meeting in my dorm room. I guess I should consider myself lucky for that too, but once again I couldn't help but miss the unpredictable man. Also, I had been hoping he would find something out about spirit, but apparently he had either forgotten to search into it or he didn't have time to.

However, I couldn't complain. Life was finally good to me. Everytime I guarded Ivan, it was like a date in itself. Today, he decided to surprise me - well, there's no such thing as a surprise when we have a bond - with a picnic. He carried a blanket in one hand and a picnic basket in the other.

"So this is what you do with Dimitri while he's guarding you," I joked.

"You got me."

Our usual banter continued as we found a romantic looking spot in the forest where the light was just peeking through the many branches. We made ourselves comfortable on the blanket and dug into the expansive meal Ivan had prepared. "Jesus, you made all of this? Since when did you become such a girl?" I teased.

He shrugged. "Well, I figured since you can't even boil water, someone's gotta take responsibility for making the food."

"That's very thoughtful of you, but rest assured, I can boil water."

He scoffed. "I doubt it. You didn't even know what flour was that one time you and I had to make cookies for my mom's holiday extravaganza party."

I playfully punched him on the arm. "It's because I thought you were saying flower as in the plant, not as in flour the baking ingredient."

"We were making cookies! Why wouldn't you assume flour the baking ingredient?"

"Have you seen the weird shit your mom bakes? I wouldn't be surprised if she stuck some roses in her cookies to add a nice fragrance."

Ivan laughed. "Okay, you may have a point there."

"Maya, one; Ivan, zero."

"But this is like golf, right? The one with the lowest amount of points wins?"

I gave him a sarcastically upset look. "Don't be such a sore loser. And anyway, isn't it the guy's job to always let the girl be right?"

Ivan smirked and laid back onto the blanket. "Just a couple moments ago you called me a girl, so no, that's not my job. Ivan, one; Maya, one."

I laid back down beside him, rolling over to my side to face him and teasingly tracing my fingers down his chest. "I love you. Maya, two; Ivan, one."

He sighed and rolled over so he was face-to-face with me. "Don't you think that's cheating?" He asked. Before I could respond, he kissed me. "Ivan, three; Maya, two."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I think you're the one who's cheating here. Why should that count for two points?"

He smirked. "Why shouldn't it? I have to win this game somehow." He continued to kiss me and I jokingly tried to dodge his 'attacks'. However, I soon gave up and enjoyed the blissful company of Ivan and our surroundings.

Ivan finally broke away from me, but I could tell not only through our bond but through his eyes he wanted to do more. However, a nervousness ate away at him and I couldn't exactly pinpoint why he was feeling this way. Hell, we had been dating for four years and it's not like we hadn't had been together like this before. Ivan shifted away from me and toward the picnic basket. I got up and watched him, confused. _What's going on?_

Ivan took out a small black box from the basket and kneeled in front of me. My heart pounded so fast I felt as if I could die right then and there.

"Maya, will you marry me?"

Just then, I suddenly heard a rustling from the trees behind Ivan. Red eyes stared back at me and if my heart wasn't pounding fast enough before, it surely was now. "Crap."

Ivan scratched his head. "Well, that wasn't the response I was expecting-"

-I pushed him down and grabbed my stake. Really? Did Strigoi have to show up right now? The Strigoi in the forest took my offensive position as a sign to slowly emerge from the trees. There were five of them, more than I had planned for and my heart sank, wondering if I could really take all of these down. I glanced back at Ivan. His eyes showed no fear. His confidence in me was unrelenting and his positive emotions flowed through me. However, it couldn't cut through the unmistakable doubts running through my mind.

I allowed my adrenaline to guide me as I began to fight with all five of the monsters. At first, I felt pretty good as I quickly took down two of the Strigoi. However, my stamina began to run low as I struggled against the last three. One finally hit me hard enough into a tree to do some damage. I could feel Ivan's immediate worry. He rushed over to me in order to heal me.

"No!" I screamed. "Stay back!"

He rebelled against my orders and scurried to my side, placing his hands on me. I could feel spirit ebbing through me, healing the pain I had just recently experienced. "Ivan, get away from here!" I ordered.

However, it was too late. Right in front of my eyes, the Strigoi snatched Ivan. "Stop!" I screamed, instantly rising to my feet and sprinting toward them with my stake. I was able to stake one more Strigoi before the other one caught hold of me, forcing me to drop my stake on the ground.

"...A Zeklos..." The Strigoi holding Ivan observed. "Lovely..."

I squirmed, trying to free myself from the tight grip of the other Strigoi. "Well, if it isn't Arthur Schoenberg's only daughter. We've been quite lucky this time."

I was able to pick up my stake from the ground and maneuver it with my feet into the heart of the Strigoi who held me. He squealed in pain and let me go as he fell to the ground. I glared at the Strigoi who held Ivan. "Let him go," I commanded.

The Strigoi chuckled. "Cute. You think a twig like you can take me down?"

"I took your four other comrades down, I don't see why I can't take you down."

He grinned evilly. "I will kill your lover if you take any step closer to me." Ivan wrestled to free himself, but it wasn't working. The Strigoi was just too strong.

_Dammit, dammit, dammit._ I stared into Ivan's eyes, which still somehow radiated confidence in me. He loved me so much and it broke my heart that I knew one of us wouldn't survive this situation._ If I'm quick enough, I might be able to pull this off..._

My heart racing, I sprinted toward the Strigoi with my stake. He moved Ivan in front of him like he was a shield; however, I expected him to do that. I dodged underneath and shoved my stake up into the Strigoi, but unfortunately didn't hit his heart. He cried out in pain and Ivan was able to free himself, but not for long. The Strigoi snatched him with one of his hands again and this time bit into his neck.

"NO!" I charged again but the Strigoi used his other to twist my legs. I fell over beside Ivan who grew paler by the second and I couldn't do anything about it. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

"I love you," he whispered back. "Ivan, four; Maya, two."

I could feel tears trickling down my cheeks. "I love you, too." I pulled myself over to kiss him one last time. I could feel his magic flowing through into me, as if he were trying to heal me. However, the magic slowly declined second by second until there was none left.

Opening my eyes, I found myself face-to-face with the Strigoi version of Ivan. The other Strigoi had sucked all the blood out of Ivan, and now he was a monster. Somehow, I could still feel his love for me, but there was anger behind it. I tried to push myself away, but the other Strigoi grabbed me. "You're next."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen: The Serpent's Comfort**

Ivan swifty shoved the other Strigoi away. "Go," he hissed. "Save yourself!"

I stared at him in shock.

"Go!"

I turned around and ran as fast as I could. Sobs shook my entire body as I tried to find my way out of the forest; however, I was mainly running wherever I could until my legs gave out. I fell to the ground and clutched the strands of grass, ripping them out from the ground. I couldn't do anything else, my body simply wouldn't let me. I closed my eyes and hoped that when I woke up, I would still be alive...

"Schoenberg...can you hear me?"

I recognized the accent instantly. "Abe..." My voice sounded hoarse and I struggled to open my eyes. "...Where am I? ...I'm not dead, am I?"

I felt his hand gently rub my back. "You're at my place, and no, you're not dead. You almost were for a moment, but I think you'll be fine once you recover."

My vision finally came into focus and I saw Abe's familiar face. He hadn't changed much in four years. "Why were you out in the middle of nowhere? What happened?" He asked.

The painful memories immediately flowed through me. I gasped and burst into tears, surprising Abe. He pulled me up with his hands and rested me against his chest, wrapping his arms around me. He rocked me back and forth as if I were an infant. "...Ivan..." I murmured.

"Were you with him?" He prompted me.

I nodded. "...I failed...He's a...a...Strigoi..."

Abe instantly stopped rocking me. "What?"

"...Five...Strigoi attacked...us and...I was able...to stake four...of them...but the last one...turned Ivan..." My sobs broke up my explanation.

"Jesus, Schoenberg..." Abe hesitated before asking his next question. "...Why did I find a ring nearby?"

My head shot up at his question. "...Ring? What does it...look like?"

Abe pulled the ring out of his pocket and, sure enough, I recognized it immediately. "...Ivan proposed to me..." I whispered, so quiet I could almost not hear myself.

Abe stared at the ring a while longer. "Maya..." It was only the second time he had ever said my first name, but it was filled with so much emotion. I could slightly distinguish the red aura surrounding him. _Aura? Why can I see his aura?_ "What can I do?" He asked. "I realize it's not going to get better anytime soon, but tell me what I can do."

"...I need to tell Dimitri. He's probably worried...but can you come with? I'm not sure I can do it by myself..." I wiped the remaining tears away from my face, feeling better in the company of Abe. I was still incredibly sore, but I knew I could handle the trip to Dimitri's house. Abe helped me to his car and we were silent during the drive, mainly because there was nothing to talk about.

I began to freak out once we pulled up to Dimitri's house. What would I say? Sorry, Ivan's gone and it's all my fault. I buried my face into my hands and took some deep breaths, trying to keep myself calm. However, I couldn't stop the tears. "I can't do this. Dimitri will hate me."

"No, he won't. There's nothing you could've done. You were fighting five Strigoi all by yourself. It's amazing you staked four of them."

I shook my head. "If Dimitri was fighting them, he would've staked them all. If Dimitri was fighting them, Ivan probably wouldn't have gotten involved...it's all my fault..."

Abe pulled my hands from my face. "Maya, look at me."

I blinked away a couple of the tears, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

"Look at me."

I finally complied and looked up into Abe's blazing eyes.

"You are incredibly strong, Maya. If you were unable to stop all those Strigoi, I can promise you no one else could either. Every second I spend with you I'm reminded of your father's dedication to his guardianship. You're the exact same way and anyone in his or her right mind would want you as their guardian."

"That's not what people will think after they hear about what happened."

Abe squeezed my hands. "Screw them. If they're stupid enough to assume you just threw Ivan to the Strigoi, then they don't deserve to have you as a guardian."

I glanced down at my small, delicate hands intertwined with his rough, large ones. He was the only other one who knew about my bond with Ivan. I felt safe with him, as if I had no other secrets I could keep from him. Suddenly, I saw that Ivan's ring had somehow ended up in our tangled hands.

"You should probably keep that," Abe whispered.

I gently picked up the ring and put it on my ring finger. It fit perfectly as if it were made for me.

"Maya!"

Dimitri's voice brought me back to the real world. His knocking on the car window made me look back and see his relieved face. Abe and I let go of each other's hands, and I opened the door. Dimitri automatically embraced me and I couldn't help but become tearful once again. "I'm sorry," I kept repeating.

"For what?" He asked.

"It's my fault...Ivan's gone..."

It took a couple moments before the news sunk in. "...I'm just glad I didn't lose both of you," he reasoned, even though I could hear the pain in his voice. Ivan had been one of his closest friends and losing him wasn't easy for either one of us. Abe's car door slammed, and Dimitri caught glimpse of him. "The man with the coat and scarf," he whispered into my ear.

I nodded as I stepped away from Dimitri and toward Abe. "Dimitri, this is Abe. Abe, Dimitri," I introduced.

They shook hands but didn't say anything. I knew the look in Dimitri's eyes meant he had heard of Abe Mazur before, but hadn't expected me to be so close to him. Abe's eyes, however, looked amused as he greeted Dimitri. He had heard enough about Dimitri from Ivan and I and I'm sure he was finally glad to see him in the flesh.

"Let's go inside," I told both of them.

Dimitri lead the way, but Abe seemed cautious as he came closer to the door. "I probably shouldn't go in," he said to me.

"...Please," I whispered back to him.

Abe submitted to my plea and followed me into the Belikov's house. I had expected Dimitri's mother and grandmother to be there; however, I wasn't expecting my father.

I quickly glanced between Abe and Arthur Schoenberg.

"Hi, Dad."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen: Breaking News  
**  
"Maya," my father sighed as he hugged me. He hadn't even cared that Abe Mazur was in the same room as he was as long as I was safe and alive.

"Aren't you suppose to be in the United States?" I asked him, breaking away from him.

"...Well, I was, but when you disappeared I knew I had to come back and help with the search," he explained. "...Do you mind telling us what happened, darling?" He gently asked as we all sat down around the large dining room table.

I glanced around the table and my eyes stopped once they met Abe's. He stared back, his dark eyes warmly comforting me. "I was on my shift for guarding Ivan, and he decided to surprise me with a picnic," I started. Already, I could feel more tears on their way. This is going to be hard. I took a couple of deep breaths. Dimitri, who sat beside me, place his hand on my back. In my mind, I was debating about what I did and didn't want to tell. I glanced back at Abe and he gave me a slight nod, confirming he wouldn't give away any of the details I didn't mention.

I quickly decided to skip the proposal scene, mainly because I had a feeling I wouldn't make it through the story otherwise. "Suddenly, five Strigoi appeared out of nowhere...and I was lucky enough to stake down four of them." Again, I had to take a break before continuing on with my story. I knew Dimitri's family didn't accept the fact of someone turning into a Strigoi, rather they would say he died.

"Unfortunately, the last Strigoi got a hold of Ivan and..." I began to shake as tears streamed down my cheeks. I couldn't get the image of Ivan as a Strigoi out of my head.

"Maya..." Dimitri rubbed my back and pulled me closer to him.

"...What's next for us?" I asked. "I messed it all up."

"No, you didn't," my father assured me. "There's actually two openings at St. Vladimir's which I'm sure they would take both of you in an instant."

I wasn't thrilled about the prospect of working at a school, but I would take whatever job I could. "St. Vladimir's? Where's that?"

"Montana."

Dimitri and I looked at each other in confusion. "Where's that?" Dimitri asked.

"United States."

"...So how do we get the job?" I asked my father. "Is there some sort of interview we need to do?"  
"You'll have to go to Court and the Queen will interview both of you."

"The Queen?" Dimitri and I asked in disbelief.

"Don't you think that's a bit much for just a job at a school?" Abe asked.

"Well, it's not just any job. Apparently, two girls went missing from the school and if you both get the job, you'll be in charge of the search for them," my father explained.

"Who went missing?" I asked.

"Valissa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway."

Once I heard the second name, I looked at Abe who had turned considerably paler over the course of the past few seconds. "That's the last Dragomir, right? And Janine Hathaway's daughter?" I asked.  
"Yep. They always said that Hathaway girl was quite the troublemaker."

_I wonder where she gets that from..._I thought as I glanced over at Abe. "When's the soonest we can schedule an interview?" The sooner I could get out of Baia and stop being reminded of Ivan, the better.

"Well, I actually had a flight booked for all three of us. We would head out tomorrow morning, but if that's too soon, I can reschedule it."

"...That's fine," Dimitri replied.

After that, we all dispersed. Dimitri's mother consoled me and apologized for my loss, knowing I was very close to Ivan. However, Dimitri's grandmother didn't say anything, but studied me as I interacted with the rest of the group. Finally, I approached Abe, who was ironically talking to my father. "Hi, Dad. Is it okay if I talk to Abe for a little bit?"

My father hesitated for a moment, glancing between Abe and I. "...Sure, I guess so."

"It'll be only for a little bit," I reassured him as he left us.

"...Your dad's not very fond of me, is he?" Abe smirked.

"It's not that he hates you, he just doesn't like it that I'm somehow 'involved' with you," I explained.  
Abe's smirk only grew wider. "Involved with me? Schoenberg, I'm flattered."

Even though he put on a good show, I could see in his eyes that he was still worried due to the recently discovered news about his daughter. I reached out and grabbed his arm. "...Do you trust me?"

Abe stared at me for a few moments before responding, "Yes."

"Then I'll find her, okay?"

The look in his eyes told me he believed in what I said. I slowly let go of his arm and he surprised me by embracing me tightly. Concerned about who saw the act of affection, I hesitated before wrapping my arms around him. "Thank you," he whispered in my ear. I shivered as I felt his lips graze my ear.

"You saved my life; it's the least I can do," I replied.

"Maya."

Yeva's unexpected voice broke me apart from Abe. I stared at Dimitri's grandmother, who had been acting suspiciously ever since I had arrived. "...Yes?"

"Come with me," she ordered, surprisingly in English, grabbing my hand and yanking me toward the empty living room. "I sense something different about you, child. Magic is flowing through you unlike it ever has before. Dark and light intertwine around you..." She pushed the hair out of my face. "...And Ivan still hasn't left you. I can see him through your eyes..."

I shivered as she rattled off the secrets I had not dared to tell anyone except Abe. "...What does it all mean?" I asked.

"You are special. I've never seen anything like it..." She smirked before she continued. "...I've never witnessed another woman enthrall Abe Mazur as much as you do."

I practically choked on my own spit. "Oh, no, no, no. We're not...He's not..." I fumbled for the right words to defend myself.

She gave me a small smile. "I see a future with you and him..."

I remembered the words Abe had said to me before I dated Ivan: I can't sit by and watch you end up with someone like me. I sighed, trying to convince myself what she was saying wasn't true. "Yeva, please, I can't think about that when Ivan..." I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence, but luckily I didn't have to as Dimitri approached us.

"We were planning on having you and your father stay with us tonight," he told me. "My mom already set up an extra mattress in my room you can sleep on."

"Oh, thanks." I replied as I looked past Dimitri at my father and Abe. I knew I had a last couple of words before I headed to bed. My father made eye contact with me and gave me a comforting smile as he walked over to me. "I'll be there in a little bit," I told Dimitri as I passed him to meet my dad.

"Hi..." I awkwardly greeted him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He quietly asked me. "You've been through a lot in the past day..."

I shrugged. "...Of course I'm not," I admitted, "but it'll take more than a day to recover." Much more than a day. "Don't worry, though, Dad. I'm just glad you're here..."

My father kissed my forehead. "I'm just glad you're okay," he whispered. "When I first heard that you and Ivan were missing, I thought I would lose you both...I knew you would sacrifice your life for Ivan if you had to, but I hadn't expected it to go the other way."

"I wish it hadn't," my voice cracked at the end of my reply. "...He would still be here."

"Maya, I don't think it mattered what you did. Ivan was crazy about you. He would've done anything to keep you alive, even if that meant risking his life," Abe remarked, joining the conversation. His eyes were just as concerned as my father's and I felt uncomfortable under both of their gazes. Particularly under Abe's gaze, considering what Yeva had just told me.

"Abe's right. There's nothing that can be changed about what happened, okay, honey?"

"You agreed with him?" I replied in shock. "Wow, this is like a critical juncture in history."

Abe grinned, but my father's expression remained stoic. "You better get to bed, Schoenberg. I don't want to find you out in the middle of nowhere again."

"Yes, sir." I quickly hugged my father and stalled once I stopped in front of Abe.

"...Seriously, Schoenberg, if I find you in any more trouble I don't know if I can always be there to help," he whispered. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I'll have to stay out of trouble if I want to find Rose," I reasoned. "I have no other option but to be careful."

"Good girl," he teased. "Now go to bed."

I sarcastically glared at him. "Don't tell me what to do," I replied with a smirk as I headed to Dimitri's bedroom where he waited for me on his bed. I couldn't quite distinguish the expression he wore on his face. Shock? Surprise? Upset? A mix of all of them?

"So, Abe Mazur, huh?" He asked as I fixed my blankets on top of my mattress.

"Please don't. I've already had this conversation with my father, I don't need a repeat of it with you," I replied.

Dimitri shrugged and laid back in his bed. "It's odd, that's all. I don't quite understand how you got involved with a guy like that. He doesn't seem like your type."

I glared at him. "Really? Then please enlighten me about what exactly is my type."

Dimitri jumped up out of the bed, accepting the challenge. "He has to have a good sense of humor and he must be able to listen to all of your problems. He can't be shorter than you, which I assume is impossible unless you're dating a ten year-old. He should be responsible and never pressure into things you don't want to do. Lastly, he should be like your best friend and you should be able to talk to him about anything."

I stared at him in amazement. "Yeah, like I'll ever find a guy like that." Even Ivan hadn't fit everything Dimitri said. Ivan sometimes could find himself more involved with alcohol than school and friends. I knew for him it was an outlet to get away from the devastating effects of spirit, but I couldn't help but be annoyed by the habit.

"You're staring at one," he responded before he kissed me.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi everyone! :) Thanks for all of you who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story! It means a lot to me that you guys are enjoying this story. I hope you all are having a great week - hopefully I can still find time to update once more this week, but I have three finals before the end of the semester on Friday, so I may not update until next week. I hope you all understand :) Anyway, here's what you've been waiting for...!**

**Chapter Sixteen: The Unusual Moroi - Adrian Ivashkov**

I immediately pushed Dimitri away from me. "What is wrong with you?" I exclaimed. "Do you think it's okay to do that the day after Ivan died?" I tried to leave the room, but Dimitri grabbed my wrist.

"Maya, wait-"

-I yanked my wrist out of his grip and left his room, slamming the door in his face. Tears were streaming down my face and once I reached the living room I stopped, not knowing what to do next. Abe, who had been sitting on the couch and making conversation with Yeva, looked up and was instantly up on his feet. "Schoenberg, what's wrong?"

I shook my head and wiped the tears from my eyes. "...It's nothing."

Abe obviously didn't believe me. "Right, because you storming in here and crying hysterically means nothing."

"Maya, I'm sorry..." I heard the beginning of Dimitri's apology from behind me, but he stopped once he caught sight of Abe.

The glare Abe gave Dimitri surprised me. "What did you do to her?" The almost too protective edge to his voice made me uncomfortable and I stepped closer in order to explain everything.

"Abe, it's not a big deal, I've just been through too much in the past day. Anything could've made me cross my breaking point," I reassured him, but he seemed as if he were not listening to me. He stepped toward Dimitri and stood in front of him.

"I know you might mean well, but I'm counting on you to protect her from now on. You can't just..."

Abe's voice slowly disappeared as my vision blurred. I could feel my legs give out under me and heard cries of concern coming from every direction as I fell, but I soon found myself in the Moroi part of the city. _How did I get here?_ My attention quickly darted to a panicked man standing on the porch of the house.

"Who are you?" I asked, but he did not hear me._ ...Am I...like a ghost or something?_

"You were the one who shot her," I heard Ivan's voice say as if he were right where I was.

_Am I seeing through his eyes? That would mean I'm still bound to him..._ I shivered at the thought of being connected to a Strigoi in such a way._ And what does he mean by 'the one who shot her'? Is this the man who hurt me over four years ago? How did Ivan find him?_

"...Who? ...No, no I didn't..." The scared Moroi man said, backing away toward the front door of his house. Ivan, and subconsciously I, moved toward him. "...I didn't mean to shoot her...I wanted to kill that damn Abe Mazur..."

Suddenly, Ivan charged at him and bit into his neck. I tried to squeeze my eyes shut, disgusted by the scene, but I was not looking through my eyes. I was looking through Ivan's and I could not escape the reality that Ivan was killing someone right in front of me. "Stop, stop, stop, stop, STOP!" I screamed, trying to leave the unsettling scene. However, I was forced to stay in Ivan's mind through the rest of the night in which he took multiple victims.

Suddenly, I jolted awake.

"Maya?" Dimitri immediately asked, concerned and surprised by the abrupt awakening.

I blinked a couple times before my vision came back into focus and I realized we weren't at his house anymore. We were on a private plane. "...Are we heading to Court?" I groggily asked.

"Yeah..." He answered. "But that's the least of our worries right now. What happened? One moment you were fine and the next you were knocked out...and you were saying stop over and over again..."

Flashes of Ivan's hunting upset me, and I knew if I mentioned anything I would sound crazy. "...I just keep seeing the scene of Ivan's death over and over...and...and I just wish I could stop it," I lied. Guilt ate away from me, but I knew I couldn't tell Dimitri...at least not yet. The only person I felt talking to at the moment was Abe, but he wasn't on the plane.

"...Maya..." The expression in Dimitri's eyes made me feel worse as he pulled me into his arms. "I'm sorry about last night...I shouldn't have done that..."

"...I forgive you...I mean, I'm pretty hard to resist," I joked. Humor was one of the few things that would get me through this.

Dimitri laughed. "You have no idea."

My father entered after that. He was surprised and relieved to see me up and, of course, asked questions. I had grown a love/hate relationship with how easily I lied now, but I knew it was for the best until I could figure more information out. I didn't want anyone else involved unless I knew the consequences of it. I didn't know Ivan's motives and I didn't want to put anyone in danger in case he chased me down.

My heart began to race faster and faster the closer we got to Court and I suddenly realized the situation I had gotten myself into. I wasn't sure I was ready to face the Queen or any other royal Moroi yet. However, I had no choice. I couldn't back out now when we were so close. I felt like I had already disappointed Dimitri and my father because of Ivan's death, and I didn't want to upset them anymore.

Dimitri helped me off the plane and we quietly walked into Court together while my father wished us good luck before meeting up with his assignment, the Badicas. I looked down at the ground, unwilling to let the stares of strangers intimidate me before our big interview. I followed Dimitri's steps until we reached the oversized doors leading to the Queen's throne. "Dimitri, wait..." I whispered.

He obeyed and stopped in front of me. He grabbed my hands and squeezed them as if to comfort me. "There's nothing to worry about," he replied.

"...I'm the one who messed up. If it wasn't for me, Ivan would still be here and we wouldn't be in this mess..."

Dimitri let go of my hands and used them to tilt up my chin so I stared into his eyes. "Maya, you did nothing wrong. There's nothing you could have done to stop Ivan. He loved you and he would have done anything to keep you safe, even if that meant sacrificing his life."

"...Do you think I made the wrong choice?" I asked so quietly I could barely hear myself in the empty hallway.

"What do you mean?"

I paused before answering, unsure of how I wanted to express my thoughts. "...This could have been avoided if I chose you..."

Dimitri's expression completely changed from sympathy to pain and I immediately regretted the words which came out of my mouth. "Maya...the only reason I wanted you to choose me over Ivan was if you loved me more than him."

"No, no, no, I didn't mean it that way. I do love you, Dimitri, more than you probably realize...but we can't be together..."

I could tell I was taking Dimitri's emotions on a rollercoaster. "...Why can't we? Who says two dhampirs can't be together?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but the doors surprised us both when they unexpectedly opened themselves. We immediately turned toward the Queen and walked up to her, bowing once we were close enough.

Queen Tatiana's eyes darted between both of us, but stopped when she glanced back at me. She scrutinized me for a couple moments, and before I realized it, I allowed my mouth to open. "Like what you see?" I joked._ Well, there goes my chance at getting the job..._

I heard someone snicker from the opposite side of the room. I hesitantly glanced up and saw a haphazardly good-looking Moroi male with messy brown hair and mischievous green eyes. He winked at me and I gave him my best back-off look I could. However, this just made his grin widen and his eyes glint in a suggestive manner.

"You must be Maya Schoenberg," Queen Tatiana replied, sounding rather unamused as she glared at both me and the Moroi man. "...And I see you've met my great-nephew, Adrian Ivashkov. Please try not to tempt or taunt him."

I decided not to make a witty response. Fortunately, Dimitri was his usual self as he asked the question I was thinking, "Isn't it sort of odd that he's in here while we're meeting with you?"

I could sense a change in Adrian's aura, telling me he was offended by Dimitri's question. "Maya seems to be enjoying my company," he replied. Obviously, I wasn't the only smartass in the room.

"Don't dare bring me into this, Ivashkov," I warned him.

"Adrian," Queen Tatiana scolded. "If you can't be quiet, I will make you leave."

I was expecting Adrian to keep making a scene despite of his great-aunt's warning, but he remained silent as we continued our interview. She didn't ask very detailed questions, but rather looked at our records and made some complimentary comments. Fortunately, she didn't talk about Ivan's death and the interview was over sooner than I ever would have expected.

"I think you two will be perfect for the job," she told us. "You both have worked together before and you two were ranked at the top of your class. We'll have a plane ready to leave for St. Vladimir's tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," I said to her as I followed Dimitri out of the overwhelming room. She simply nodded at me before the door closed. "That was easier than I thought..."

Dimitri quietly agreed, but once we were standing outside the doors the previous topic of conversation came back. "...Maya...do you think...we..." He couldn't even finish his question, but I knew what he meant.

"...I don't know," I admitted. "...I think we both need some time to consider it...and...I'm not sure if I'm ready to get back into a relationship..."

Dimitri nodded, "The last thing I want to do is rush into this."

"...Thanks. I really appreciate it," I replied, reaching up as far as I could so I could kiss his cheek. A part of me really did want this to work out with Dimitri, but at the same time I couldn't help but be uncertain about the future of our relationship. I knew if I took our relationship deeper, it would be hard to ever be close friends again without some awkward tension. "I'll see you later, Dimka," I whispered in his ear before leaving.

I needed to walk down the many hallways by myself to clear my mind. However, I knew it was too much to ask for when I saw Adrian waiting for me with what seemed to be his usual smirk.

"Hey, little dhampir."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen: My "Get-Together" With Adrian**

"Not you again," I sighed.

"What? You're not thrilled to be in my presence?"

"Adrian, I wasn't thrilled to be in the presence of the Queen, why should I be thrilled to be in your presence?"

Adrian's laugh filled the entire hallway and I couldn't help but smile because of his infectious cheerfulness. "Maya, I have a feeling we're going to have some fun tonight."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you mean by that? Are you forcing me out on a date with you?" I asked, trying to break free of the arm he just recently wrapped around my shoulders. However, unable to escape from his grip, I gave up and walked with him.

"Force is a little extreme, isn't it? If it makes you feel any better, we don't have to think of it as a date. It can be more like a...a friendly get-together to get to know each other." His jade green eyes were practically dancing as he guided me through the hallways and to the bar. I couldn't shake the feeling that this guy reminded me more of Ivan than I was comfortable with. Even his aura illuminated with a glow I had never seen on anyone else but immediately recognized the similarity to my past boyfriend.

"Well, if alcohol's involved in this scenario, I have a feeling you'll learn too much about me," I remarked.  
"Even better," Adrian joked as we sat down on the only two bar stools open. The bar was surprisingly crowded and loud and I felt relieved that I wasn't alone in a room with Adrian. He ordered some kind of fancy alcoholic beverage for both of us. I carefully sipped on it, trying to be aware of how much alcohol I was really consuming.

"So what do you want to know?" I asked.

Adrian's usual playfulness changed and his face paled a couple shades. "Why didn't you tell me you were married?" He asked.

I was confused at first by his statement, but then realized what he was talking about. The ring! "Oh...um, I'm not married..."

He sprung back to his usual self. "Well, if you were, your hypothetical husband is a lucky man." He still looked at my ring, as if he didn't necessarily believe me. "...Can I see it?" He asked.

I hesitated for a moment, but I decided he couldn't do much with the ring anyway. I carefully pulled it off of my finger and handed it to him. He turned it around between his fingers. "...Why do you have a Zeklos heirloom? ...And I sense some weird magic in it..."

I immediately stalled. _A Zeklos heirloom?_ I knew I would have to give that back to the Zeklos family as soon as possible. However, as for the magic, my gut told me it was spirit and I would not dare mention it to Adrian. "The ring is a long story," I vaguely explained.

"We've got all night, little dhampir."

Looking at Adrian and then at the crowded bar, I realized I wasn't comfortable telling this story in such a public setting. However, Adrian's similarity to Ivan made me feel like I could trust him. "Do you think we can go to a booth?" I asked.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Already making a move, huh?"

I rolled my eyes in response. "You wish." I grabbed my drink and headed to the opposite side of the room where there were a few private booths. Adrian followed closely behind...almost too closely. I could practically feel his breath on the back of my neck.

"Can you promise to make an oath?" I asked him as soon as we were settled in the booth, sitting side by side.

"Depends."

I continued despite his uncertain response. "Anything and everything I say in here, stays in here."

Adrian smirked. "You sure you just don't want to go to Las Vegas with me?"

I smirked back. "I think you're dreaming a little too big there, Ivashkov."

He shrugged. "Go big or go home."

"...Is that some American proverb or something?" I asked. I hadn't heard that phrase before. Luckily, I grew up speaking both English and Russian, but it didn't necessarily mean I understood everything.

He laughed and relaxed back into the seat, once again hanging his arm around my shoulders. "I thought I recognized a slight foreign accent. Where are you from, Antarctica?"

"Close. I grew up in Siberia."

"So going to Montana will probably be a treat for you, huh? I think you're trying to steer away from the topic we were originally discussing. So tell me what I imagine is a fascinating story about that ring."

I sighed. "Fine, but it's not fascinating. It's just depressing."

"Well, then we'll need more drinks for that."

"Adrian, I don't think-"

-Unfortunately, he already called over a waiter and ordered more drinks before I could even finish my sentence. He handed a glass to me, and I set it aside, unwilling to let myself get to an unstable point of intoxication. "...Well, you were on the right track when you asked me if I were married. I used to be one of Ivan Zeklos's guardians, and we had been dating for four years. So when he finally asked me to marry him, five Strigoi had to show up and ruin everything. I couldn't stop Ivan from trying to help me and...well, I'm sure you can guess the ending."

"...I'm sorry," Adrian quietly replied. His earnest nature surprised me. "...Did anything weird happen before his death? I can't help but..." He stalled, as if he wasn't sure how to accurately word what he wanted to say. "...I can't help but sense spirit in your aura."

I stared at him in shock. _He just used spirit and aura in one sentence..._ "You're a spirit user."

He smirked at my realization. However, I was only more in shock once I heard his response, "So are you."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen: The Breaking Point**

"Me? A spirit user? You realize I'm a dhampir, right?"

"That's why I asked if anything weird happened before Ivan died. I've never heard of transferring magic between each other, but that's the only way it can happen," Adrian explained.

I changed my mind and decided I needed some alcohol to help me through this ridiculous conversation after all. I took a big gulp before replying, "I didn't think any weird occurrences happened before his death...but I did start to notice some auras right after his death." I remembered the red aura around Abe when he hugged me once I woke up after Ivan's death. I felt bad knowing the last time Abe had seen me was when I had passed out and I knew he would be worried. I'll have to call him sometime. "...Do you think it's the ring?" I asked.

"That was my first assumption, but if it were a transfer of magic I would assume there would be no spirit magic left in the ring..."

Hearing Adrian's reasoning made me remember another aspect, "...I didn't find the ring again until after I started noticing auras...so it wouldn't make sense anyway." Suddenly, I knew the answer as if a light bulb had lit up above my head. "He kissed me while he was dying! I felt spirit but I thought he was trying to heal me..."

"...But in actuality he was giving you his spirit...how romantic," Adrian mused. "I have to say, even though I never met this Ivan guy, I like him. If I'm dying I'll have to remember that one."

"Of course you like him, you're exactly like him," I blurted. I hadn't meant to say that out loud, but rather silently as a thought in my mind.

Adrian grinned wider than I had ever seen. "Oh really? So this 'get-together' is probably right up your alley."

"Don't push it, Ivashkov. Just because you remind me of my almost-fiance doesn't mean I'm going to pounce on you," I remarked. I couldn't bring myself to look at the smug satisfaction on Adrian's face, so I instead delved into my drink.

"I think you forget something, little dhampir. Most guys like the girls that are hard to get," Adrian replied. "What would be the fun if you started making out with me right now?"

I quickly thought through his words and glanced over at him with a suggestive smirk on my face. I leaned in toward him, my face barely an inch away from his. "You don't think it would be fun if I gave into you?" I whispered. "Because I think that's what you really want."

"No, I'm pretty sure it's what you want," He responded, leaning in even closer until his lips were on mine. I didn't pull away from him, and within the next couple minutes we had left the bar and were in his room. I could blame what happened that night on the alcohol, but I knew in my gut it was because I thought a one-night stand with Adrian would somehow fill the gap in my heart after Ivan's death. I knew Dimitri could do the same for me, but I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to be the one to break his heart or to ruin our friendship. He deserved someone better than me and I didn't want to be the one in the way if he ever met a great girl.

"Little dhampir..." Adrian began as we were laying beside each other in his bed, naked.

Guilt ate away at me and I interrupted him, trying to use compulsion as best as I could. "This never happened."

Adrian smirked. "Compulsion doesn't work on me. Good try though. Any other male would have probably bent to your will."

"Adrian, I'm serious. I'm sorry I dragged you into this, and I'm sorry this probably didn't mean as much to me as it did to you. However, I can't have you spreading it around that we were together like this," I replied.

He laughed. "Little dhampir, rumors fly about me and every girl people see me talk to. Even if I didn't say anything, people would assume we were together."

I groaned in frustration. "You're one of those guys? Fantastic." Once again, I seemed to have picked the biggest trouble-maker. First, Abe Mazur and now, Adrian Ivashkov.

"One of those guys? Sounds like you've been in this situation before," Adrian joked.

"Well, not exactly this situation," I replied, gesturing to the both of us in his bed, "but I always seem to find myself involved with guys who don't have the best reputation."

"That one guy you came with seems like an okay guy," Adrian mentioned.

I sighed, remembering the last conversation I had with Dimitri. "Yeah, he's great, but I can't be with him," I admitted not only to Adrian, but to myself.

"Why not? You two are both going to St. Vladimir's together, it would be the perfect timing."

"...It's not that. He deserves someone better than me. I'm the one who messes everything up for him. I got involved with Abe Mazur, I was the one who lost Ivan, and now I'm the one in bed with Adrian Ivashkov. I can't seem to do anything right lately."

"Abe Mazur? Jesus, little dhampir, I didn't realize you were part of a gang," Adrian joked. "If I need any illegal substances, I'll remember to contact you."

I rolled my eyes and crawled out of bed, changing back into my clothes. "Don't bother, I know better than to give you anything illegal."

Adrian laughed again. "It really has been a pleasure getting to know you, little dhampir. This court will seem lonely without another spirit user nearby."

I sighed, unable to believe what I was about to do next. I grabbed the sharpie on the side table and grabbed Adrian's hand, writing my number on his skin. "I'll only be a phone call away," I told him before leaving his room.

I knew I had to rush back to the room Dimitri and I shared. It was already two in the morning and I could imagine that Dimitri was worried about where I was. Running across the Court's grass in pitch dark made me uneasy and I picked up the pace to make it to my room. I didn't even knock on the door, but rather opened it as quietly as I could. However, Dimitri was still awake, casually sitting on a lounge chair and reading a western novel. When I entered, he glanced up and smiled. "So I'm guessing the Court's nightlife is pretty great?"

_He shouldn't smile at me like that...especially after what I've done_. I simply shrugged in response. "It's okay," I vaguely said.

"The alcohol must have been good."

"I only had a couple drinks," I defended myself.

He simply shook his head, still smiling. "Well, as long as you aren't suffering from a hangover when we reach St. Vladimir's tomorrow morning, it's all okay."

"To be fair, you're still awake," I reasoned.

"Because I was waiting up for you," he answered, making me feel even worse.

"You didn't have to do that," I replied, my voice cracking at the end of the sentence.

"...Maya, are you sure everything's alright?" Dimitri asked, closing the book and getting up from the chair.

"...No," I finally admitted, reaching my breaking point. "No, I can't do anything right."

"Maya, Ivan's death is not your fault-"

"-That's not what I'm talking about! Why would you want to be with someone like me? Do you want to know what I did tonight? I accidently ran into that Adrian guy and we hooked up because he reminded me of Ivan. And yet, I find you here waiting up for me because you're such a good guy who deserves someone so much better than me," I rambled, shaking.

"Maya...I don't know if that's the truth or if it's the alcohol speaking, but I think you're allowed to make mistakes right now. You've been through a lot and it's only natural that you react in a radical way," Dimitri replied, placing his hands on my shoulders.

"Why are you like this? Why do you always see the good in me? I'm not good! I'm not who you think I am! I slept with Adrian tonight, for God's sake, right after we talked about our relationship! I-" I was interrupted when Dimitri pulled me into his chest.

"Maya, somehow in the back of my mind I knew we could never be together, but it doesn't mean that I don't want to be your friend that helps you through this tough time," he whispered in my ear. "You're my best friend, Maya, and I can't stand to see you like this. Just tell me what I can do to help."

I squeezed my eyes shut as I buried my head into his chest, tears streaming down my cheeks. "You've already done too much, Dimka."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen: The First Day and Already In Trouble**

St. Vladimir's school was larger than I had ever expected. Stepping out of the plane, I took in the vast expanse of both nature and buildings. The weather was very similar to what it was in Siberia, and the chilly wind bit at my skin as Dimitri and I walked into one of the many buildings on the campus. I simply followed the head guardian around the many twists and turns of the hallways. "You both are very young," she commented.

Dimitri and I looked at each other. I hadn't really considered the fact that we were both 'young' according to the other guardians, but I guess I remember a lot of the guardians at my school at least being in their late 30s. Dimitri and I, however, were both 23 which was extremely young compared to the rest of the guardians here at St. Vladimir's.

"You're young too," I replied. I guessed the head guardian, Alberta, was approximately in her 40s or so.

She laughed. "As long as I'm not standing between both of you, sure, I guess you could consider me young."

We entered a large room where the headmistress Kirova waited for us. "Maya Schoenberg, Dimitri Belikov, it's an honor to finally meet the both of you," she warmly greeted us.

"It's nice to meet you too," I replied. Dimitri just nodded in response.

"Both of you are aware of your mission here, correct?" She asked.

"Yes," I answered, "we need to find Valissa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway."

"Good. Also, once you find them, both of you will be Valissa's guardians," she informed us.

This news surprised me. "What about Rose? Shouldn't she be Valissa's guardian as well?" I asked. I realized using Rose instead of Rosemarie was a bit too informal considering this was the first time we were talking to Kirova, but I needed to know the answer for Abe.

She raised her eyebrow, startled by my sudden interest in Rose. "She'll be sent away. After this little stunt, I can't afford to keep her at this school or be Valissa's guardian."

I was about to snap back at her, but bit my lip in restraint. I knew it wasn't worth making a scene right now. I could still negotiate the details once we found the two girls. "We'll be glad to guard the last Dragomir," Dimitri said, recovering from my unusual question.

"Thank you, Guardian Belikov, I appreciate your cooperation. You both can go now," Kirova replied, giving me one last stink eye before I left.

"I think that went well," I humorously said once we were in the hallway.

"Yeah, it did. I mean, you didn't freak out, end up flirting with someone's relative by accident, or beat anyone up," Dimitri replied.

Alberta smirked and looked at me. "Based on the previous statement, I'm guessing you're exactly like Rose Hathaway? I have a feeling you'll be seeing headmistress Kirova a lot more if that's the case," she added.

"Fantastic," I sarcastically responded. "Well, if I do get in trouble, you'll have my back, right?"

Alberta laughed. "We'll see about that," she vaguely replied before leaving me and Dimitri.

"Should we just take our own tour around the campus?" I asked Dimitri. "They didn't really tell us we had to do anything specific right away, so we might as well take advantage of this time."

"Good idea. We should observe some classes."

I was going to argue that we would be observing classes for the next couple years, but I decided to let Dimitri make the decisions today. I didn't want to screw up tremendously on the first day of the job. I followed Dimitri into a dhampir combat class. Watching the future guardians training brought back memories of Dimitri and I sparring against together and I playfully elbowed him. "Remember that one time you beat me?" I teased.

"I remember a couple times I beat you," he replied.

"Oh, sure, Mr. Gentleman. You-"

"-You must be the new guardians here," the instructor interrupted me as he stepped toward us.

"Yes, we are," Dimitri calmly responded. "I'm Dimitri Belikov and this is-"

"-Maya Schoenberg, I know."

I raised my eyebrow. "I don't know if I should be honored or scared that you know who I am."

The instructor smirked. "You'll find that a lot of people know who you are, girl."

_Girl?_ I felt offended; however, before I could response, the instructor stopped his class and turned their attention toward both Dimitri and me. "Class, these are the two new guardians here, Dimitri Belikov and Maya Schoenberg."

As soon as the class heard my last name, they turned toward each other and whispered in amazement. I sighed and fussed with my hair, unsure of how to handle all the attention. "Yes, the daughter of Arthur Schoenberg," he informed his class.

"Well, Dimitri was first in his class," I said, trying to steer the attention toward the one who really deserved it. Dimitri gave me a funny look, not understanding what I was trying to do.

"Fascinating," the instructor dryly replied.

"To be fair, Maya was second in the same class," Dimitri said. "If she hadn't been so distracted she would have easily been on top."

This time I gave him a funny look. "Distracted, you say?" The instructor asked. I did not like where this conversation was heading. "Maya, I think it would be very gracious of you if you informed my class about the problem with...distractions."

I glared at him, and I heard Dimitri cough as if he were trying to warn me to behave. "Distractions are great," I unexpectedly replied. "Because let's face it, all of us dhampirs work so hard to become guardians and we can't have a life of our own. This is the best time of our lives because we can live our own lives, and why not date? Why not go out and party? We deserve to have some fun."

"I don't think that's what he meant, Maya," Dimitri muttered.

"I know what he meant, but these kids deserve the truth," I muttered back.

The instructor stared daggers at me. "So you don't regret the fact that you weren't the top of your class? Don't you think your father was disappointed in you because of it?"

I shrugged. "I don't regret anything, and obviously you don't know my father at all because he's proud of me no matter what," I replied. "Now, if you're done verbally harassing me in front of your class, I'm sure some of them would like my autograph."

The class laughed and I felt triumphant as I walked into the crowd of excited students. They all were talking at once and I couldn't possibly keep up with the questions they were asking. I guessed most of them were only sophmores. _The same grade as Rose and Valissa..._

"CLASS! Get back to sparring or you will all get detention!" The instructor yelled.

The class begrudgingly went back to combating and I headed back toward Dimitri. "I think I'm going to like it here," I told him.

"We'll see how long you stay here," he replied.

I rolled my eyes. "I'll try to be good, Mr. Belikov."

He couldn't help but smile back. "I like that. You should call me that from now on."

"Don't push it," I warned him. "Those students are the same age as Rose and Valissa. I was thinking we could maybe interview some of them just to understand the two girls better. It would help if we could find out why they left in the first place. I have a feeling it wasn't some rebellious act."

Dimitri nodded. "I had the same feeling. I mean, the Hathaway girl seems like she could be one to randomly get up and leave, but I have a feeling Valissa wouldn't do the same. There had to be a very good reason for her to leave as well."

"Well, aren't we quite the detectives?" I joked, smiling at him.

He smiled back. "Only the best."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty: A Secret Bond**

I sat by Alberta at supper that night.

"I heard you've already made enemies with Stan Alto," she told me as I took a seat across from her.

"I highly doubt that since I don't even know who that is," I replied.

"So you weren't making a scene at the sophmore combat class?"

"Ohhhh. That guy. Okay, yeah, I guess he's my enemy. But to be fair, he was openly insulting me in front of his class," I defended myself, digging my spoon into my mashed potatoes.

Just then, Dimitri sat down beside me. "Was Guardian Alto openly insulting Maya today during his combat class?" Alberta asked him as if she didn't necessarily believe me.

Dimitri hesitantly glanced over at me. "I mean, yes, he did, but at the same time she kind of egged him on."

Alberta gave me one of her motherly-scolding stares. "I think you were only telling one side of the story."

"I was telling the side that counted," I remarked, taking a bite of the mashed potatoes. However, I immediately lost my appetite when, ironically, Stan Alto took a seat beside Alberta and I set my spoon down, unable to take another bite.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite new faculty member - Maya Schoenberg," he teased. "You were quite enthralling during my combat class. You should've been there, Alberta, she gave a whole speech about how it was acceptable for dhampirs to party and have fun."

"Oh, really?" Alberta replied, glancing back at me. "That's not what she told me."

I sighed and played with my food, unable to bring myself to dig the hole any deeper than it already was. "She was only telling the truth," Dimitri said, surprising me. "If dhampirs ever want to have fun, now's the time to do it rather than later when they have more responsibilities."

"I suppose so," Stan replied, "but the truth of the matter is that dhampirs who want to be guardians need to know that their job does not include fun. The instant they relax and have fun, their Moroi are in danger and can be taken by any Strigoi."

Stan's comment hit too close to home. "He's right," I whispered, taking my tray still filled with food. "I'm not hungry anymore. I'll see you guys later."

"Maya..." Dimitri grabbed my arm.

"Dimka, it's fine. I just need some fresh air," I tried to reassure him, but I knew he didn't buy it. Alberta sympathetically looked at me, and Stan actually looked like he regretted saying those words in front of me.

"Maya, let me walk you out," Stan said.

At first, I was going to refuse his suggestion, but an idea popped into my head and I knew I needed him to help me. "Okay," I replied and I let him guide me through the crowded cafeteria. Some of the students from Stan's combat class watched as we walked through the cafeteria together as if they were perplexed by the fact that we could stand next to each other without beating each other up. I dropped my tray off and we headed outside where the crisp, cool Montana air brought me back to my senses.

"Do you think you could bring me to the teacher for Moroi magic?" I asked him.

"...Sure, I guess," he answered. He didn't ask any questions, which I appreciated. Instead, he lead me to one of the classrooms where a tall female Moroi sat at a desk.

She glanced up and smiled at both of us. "How may I help you?"

I stepped toward her and extended my hand to her. She shook it. "Hi, I'm Maya Schoenberg. I'm new here and my main priority is to find Valissa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about Valissa?"

"Certainly," she replied, but I could tell she was studying me. I secretly wondered if she could sense the spirit magic running through me. "You can grab a chair."

I took advantage of her proposition and pulled up a chair to her desk. "Did you know Valissa very well?" I asked her.

"Well enough to know she prefers Lissa over Valissa. She was a very sweet girl, she always tried her hardest in class, but sometimes...well, she doesn't quite get the hang of magic or specializing."

This sparked my interest. I knew Ivan had troubles specializing. _Could Lissa be a spirit user?_ "So you're saying she hasn't specialized yet?" I asked.

"No, she just has a low control over all of the elements."

I relaxed back into my chair and crossed my legs, deciding what question I should ask next. "...Did Lissa experience anything traumatic before she left with Rose?"

She seemed hesitant to answer this question. "...Well, she was in a car crash with her family and Rose not too long ago..."

"And her family all passed?" I asked.

She nodded.

I scooted back up, finally feeling like I was getting somewhere. "But somehow Rose survived? Wouldn't she have been in critical condition as well?"

"...Yes, most people don't know how she survived. It was a miracle."

_Lissa must have brought Rose back to life...like Ivan did to mean...and that would mean they have a bond!_ "Were they close friends?"

"They've been best friends for as long as I can remember."

I sat there in silence, taking in the whole situation. Obviously, Lissa must have been in some danger because of her spirit abilities and Rose escaped with her. I just needed to find out what was the source of danger, get rid of it, and find them to bring them back to a safe school. "Thank you for your time. That's all I needed," I told her as I got up and put my chair back in its place.

"It's no problem. If you have anymore questions, feel free to come back," she warmly informed me as I left the room with Stan.

"I may have misjudged you, Schoenberg. I think you know more than you let on. I could see the way your eyes were glinting when she gave you some of those answers," he told me.

I shrugged. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises."

"Speaking of surprises, why do you have an engagement ring?"

I sighed. "It's not a...well, it is, but..." I stumbled, not finding the right words to reply. "...I mean, it is my engagement ring, but I'm not exactly engaged..."

Stan smirked. "You're making absolutely no sense."

"I realize that," I dryly replied. "...You can't tell anyone else, okay?"

He raised his eyebrow. "Man, you really are full of secrets."

"You have no idea." I hesitated before revealing what only Abe and Adrian knew. "...I used to guard for Ivan Zeklos and we were, um, I guess you could say really close. Anyway, one day he decides to surprise me with a picnic and propose to me, but suddenly five Strigoi have to show up and ruin everything..."

Stan stared at me with a look I had never seen on his face before. "I'm sorry..."

I shook my head. "It's my fault. You were right. The second I let my guard down, I lost Ivan forever..." I stepped away from him, ready to recede to my room for the night. "Goodnight, Guardian Alto."

"Maya, wait."

I stopped and looked up at him.

"I take back everything I said today. You remind me a lot of your father. You may be a little rough around the edges, but your heart is in the right place. You'll do whatever you have to in order to keep those you love safe, and that's what makes a great guardian."

I simply nodded. "Thanks." I turned around and headed to my room, Stan's words ringing through my ears. _You remind me a lot of your father..._ I disagreed-I couldn't be any farther away from the legendary Arthur Schoenberg.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One: Dream Walking**

_"You know, you didn't have to give me your phone number. I could always just contact you in your dreams."_

_Opening my eyes, I saw a small, elegant garden surrounding me and Adrian. "You know, I'm trying to sleep right now," I told him._

_"You are sleeping." Adrian stood in front of me wearing what seemed to be designer jeans and a maroon silk shirt. I silently cursed myself for noticing how good it looked on him. "Just not with me this time," he joked._

_I sighed. "Don't remind me about that. I've already got a reputation on the first day of the job."_

_Adrian grinned. "How does that not surprise me?"_

_"It shouldn't, considering you seem to be the king of reputations. I guess while you're here you can help me with something," I said. "How do you dream walk? I want to see if I can get into Lissa Dragomir's dreams."_

_Adrian's eyes widened. "...May I ask why?"_

_"No," I bluntly answered. "Can you just please teach me?"_

_"Jesus, I don't remember you being so demanding. However, you know I can't deny a pretty girl, so fine, I'll teach you how to dream walk." He stared at me for a moment. "I should reword that: I'll try to teach you how to dream walk. It's hard to explain."_

_"Well, how did you get into my dream?"_

_"That's the funny thing, I didn't try to get into your dream, I just ended up here."_

_I glared at him. "You're kidding me, right? Why would I subconsciously lure you into my dream?"_

_He gave me a suggestive smirk. "I think we both know why. You miss my charming and attractive company."_

_"It's only been a day. I haven't had that much withdrawal. Are you going to try to teach me or what?"_

_He laughed. "You just want to get right to business, huh? You know, I personally appreciate some entertaining banter before-"_

_-Just then, Ivan showed up. His red eyes darted between both Adrian and me, but they stopped when they landed on me again. Those eyes felt as if they could look right through me and into my soul. I immediately forgot what was oxygen and how to breathe. It felt like so long ago since Ivan's death when it had only been a few days._

_"Hello," Adrian greeted Ivan, but it sounded more like a question of why he was here._

_Ivan glared at Adrian. "Get out." His voice sounded so much different from his usual sarcastic tone. This time, his voice sounded as if he would kill Adrian if he didn't comply._

_"Ivan, it's okay, this is Adrian," I told him._

_"Ivan?" Adrian asked, surprised._

_Ivan remained silent for a few more moments as he studied Adrian. "...You're a spirit user," he observed. "...You can help Maya. You need to keep her safe!"_

_Startled, Adrian could not find any words to reply. I took over the conversation. "Ivan, Adrian's not nearby to where he can help me any time I need him. In fact, there are no spirit users where I am, except if I find Lissa Dragomir."_

_"Lissa Dragomir's a spirit user?" Adrian asked. Tonight was full of surprises for him._

_"Well, I'm not 100 percent sure, but from what I've gathered she healed Rose from the car accident and now they have a bond."_

_Ivan stepped closer to me. "Maya, you need to listen to me. Be careful, there's someone who wants to use your spirit power to heal himself."_

_I surprised myself when I stepped closer to Ivan. "Who?"_

_"Victor Dashkov," he whispered._

_"The royal Victor Dashkov?" I asked in disbelief. I hadn't run across him yet during my short time at St. Vladimir's, but if he was really after me it wouldn't be long before our paths crossed. "Does he know...that I have your spirit magic?"_

_"It's only a matter of time before he finds out," Ivan replied, and I became uneasy when he stepped closer to me, his lips almost touching my forehead. I glanced over at Adrian who had slowly backed away from Ivan; however, his eyes looked determined to protect me if Ivan did anything to harm me. "Please, Maya, be careful. I can't bare to watch you in danger," Ivan whispered._

_"It's okay. Dimitri will protect me."_

_He sighed. "Of course he will...he's always been there for you..." He sounded as if we were in pain when he mentioned Dimitri. He looked down and noticed his ring on my finger. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "I'm sorry I failed you and Dimitri."_

_"You didn't fail us," I reassured him. "I felt like I failed you."_

_He scoffed. "Maya, you've never once failed me. Even if you tried to fail me, you couldn't."_

_I looked back up into his eyes. Talking to him made me feel as if he was really alive again, but his red eyes proved otherwise. "Ivan...I thought all Strigoi were...I don't know, vicious..."_

_"I'll be honest, I'm not proud of what I've already done as a Strigoi, but I can't possibly harm you, Maya. We're bound to each other. If I hurt you, it hurts me as well. All I want to do is to make sure you're safe."_  
_Adrian glanced between both Ivan and me. "I thought something about your auras together were odd...I've never seen anything like it before. It's like the lightness and darkness in each of your auras are constantly flowing and transferring through both of you."_

_"Really?" I asked. "That's-_

A knock on my door woke me up from the interesting dream. I felt bad for leaving Adrian with Ivan, but I soon disregarded the guilt as soon as I opened the door. I didn't recognize the older man on the other side of the door. "Hi, how may I help you?" I asked, feeling awkward answering the door in only my pajamas which consisted of an oversized t-shirt.

"I realize this might be a bad time, but I really need to talk to you, Maya," he said.

"May I ask who you are before I commit to this conversation?" I replied.

"Oh, of course, how rude of me. I'm Victor Dashkov."

_Oh shit._


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Victor Dashkov's Assault**

I knew I couldn't say no to Victor Dashkov, and I quickly changed before we headed out to a lounge room on the same floor. "I must say, you look more like your father than I expected," Victor told me. Normally, I would have assumed he was trying to make friendly conversation, but under this situation I knew he had ulterior motives.

"Not the first time I've heard that..." I muttered, sitting across from him in a large beige lounge chair. "What can I do for you, Lord Dashkov?" I realized I sounded a little abrupt and rude, but I hoped he would assume it was because he woke me up in the middle of the night.

"You're in charge of finding Valissa and Rosemarie, correct?"

"Well, Dimitri and I are," I clarified.

"Ahh, yes, Guardian Belikov. You two are cute together."

I almost choked on nothing once I heard what he had said. "Oh, no, we aren't like that..."

Victor simply smirked and shrugged. "If you say so...anyway, I wanted you to know a few things about Valissa and Rosemarie before you began your search."

I had a feeling I already knew what he was going to help me. "That's very kind of you, Lord Dashkov, but I think I'll be okay if I just investigate on my own," I told him, getting up from my chair.

"Of course you'll be okay, you're a spirit user."

I stopped in my tracks and stared at him. "...No, I'm not," I lied.

His grin only widened. "Right, of course you aren't. What am I thinking? You're a dhampir."

I hesitantly glanced at him, knowing his response was sarcastic. Somehow he knew what almost no one else did. "What do you want, Lord Dashkov?" I asked, carefully sitting back down in the beige lounge chair again.

"Well, aren't you getting right to the point," he replied. "I just want a little favor from you."

"What exactly is your definition of small favor?" I asked, crossing my arms in front of my chest. My heart was pounding, but I wasn't going to let Victor become aware of my fear.

He chuckled. "No need to be skeptical, I just need you to heal me."

"Heal you?" _Is this what he wanted Valissa to do for him?_ Victor Dashkov didn't look like a man who needed any healing to me. "Why?"

"I think you've already asked enough questions," he hissed as his other guardians burst into the room. I immediately jumped out of the chair and tried to duck through them, but they grabbed my arms and shoved me into the back wall. I screamed as loud as I could, hoping someone would hear, but one of the guardians used his other hand to cover my mouth.

"You have no choice but to heal me," Victor whispered, stepping closer to me.

I squirmed, still trying to scream, but my attempts were muffled. Finally, I shot out my leg and kicked Victor. The guardians instantly reacted and shoved me even harder against the wall, causing a searing pain to course through my entire being.

"How dare you!" Victor screamed, getting up. "Do you think a bloodwhore like you can get away hurting a royal like me?" He unexpectedly hit me across the face, and I silently cursed myself for allowing tears to fall from my eyes. It wasn't so much because he hit me, but because he called me a bloodwhore.  
I slumped down and the guardians let go of me, allowing me to fall down to the floor. Victor kneeled down in front of me and forcefully grabbed my hands. "You will heal me," he muttered. However, I sent no spirit to him. He began shaking my hands violently. "You will heal me!" He repeated, much louder than last time.

"No," I croaked out. I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting another hit to the face, but instead Victor's hands let go of mine as he groaned in pain. I opened my eyes and saw an unfamiliar school guardian fighting off my attackers. I clumsily got up onto my feet and by the time I steadied myself, Victor and his guardians had left.

"Thanks," I whispered. Still shaking, he grabbed my elbow to help steady me. "Who are you?" I asked, feeling the need to know the name of my rescuer.

"Mikhail Tanner," he answered.

"...I'm Maya-"

"-Maya Schoenberg, I know," he replied. "I heard about your spat with Guardian Alto earlier today."  
I groaned. "It wasn't a spat, I was just stating my opinion."

He smirked, but he didn't say anything as he guided me out of the lounge room and to my room.

"Thanks again," I told him as I opened the door. "I'm sorry you had to meet me like that."

He shrugged.

I watched him for a little bit, taking in his aura around him. "Why did you come and save me?" I asked, knowing there was more to him than met the eye.

"Goodnight, Maya," he simply replied, turning around and walking away.

I sighed and quietly closed the door behind me, confused and still shaking from the events which happened tonight. I knew now why Lissa and Rose left, however I couldn't figure out why Victor wanted so badly for me to heal him. He looked completely healthy.

I leaned back against the wall, but immediately gasped in the pain which seared through me. I slowly walked to the bathroom and saw my terrified brown eyes staring back at me. The side where Victor hit me was very red and I had a feeling it would bruise. How was I possibly going to explain my way through this one? I knew Dimitri would freak out the instant he saw me injured tomorrow.

I simply shook my head and went to curl up in my bed, deciding I would deal with it when the time came.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Going to Church...Kind of**

I self-conscientiously entered the cafeteria, careful to keep my face down so no one would notice the bruise which developed on the side of my face. I had parted my hair to cover that side of my face, but I still felt as if everyone was still looking at me. I grabbed an apple for breakfast and sat down beside Dimitri, disappointed to see Tasha Ozera sitting across from him. We both had met her back when we were in school and even though I respected what she did for her nephew, I couldn't stand her. By the look on her face when I sat down beside Dimitri, she felt the same way about me.

"Maya, it's been so long since I've seen you! You haven't grown an inch," she greeted me.

Part of me wanted to either walk away or chuck my apple at her face, but I simply smiled at her and sat down. "It has been a while, hasn't it?" I replied.

Dimitri worriedly glanced at me and I silently cursed in my head, knowing he saw the injury on my face. "...Maya, what happened?" He asked, pulling my hair away from my face.

I immediately sensed the green spark of jealousy in Tasha's aura and I moved Dimitri's hand away from me. I forced myself to laugh. "This thing? Oh, it's kind of embarrassing, actually. I fell last night and hit my head on my nightstand." Just then, I noticed Victor Dashkov walking by and he smirked at me as he heard my explanation. _I can't catch a break, can I?_

Dimitri stared at me a while longer and I nervously smiled at him, trying to reassure him. "It's nothing, I promise." I decided to use this moment to my opportunity. "Lord Dashkov doesn't look so good. Has he been sick recently?" I asked Tasha.

She glanced over at Victor and back at me. "Actually, this is the best he's looked in a while. He supposedly has been sick for a while, but no one has said if he's been diagnosed with any disease."

Dimitri seemed confused that I had so abruptly asked about Victor, but he was also in the same investigative mood. "Tasha, isn't your nephew in the same grade as Rosemarie and Valissa?" He asked.

"Yeah, he is, but he's not necessarily 'popular' enough to be of any use. You're in charge of finding Valissa and Rosemarie, aren't you, Dimitri?" She replied and I angrily took a bite of my apple as she twirled her hair around her finger as she batted her eyes at him.

"Maya and I are," Dimitri corrected, completely oblivious to Tasha's romantic attempts as he looked over at me. Guilt ate away at me, knowing as long as I was around, I would be the one in the way between Dimitri and any other girl.

"...Actually, it would really help us if you could tell us some of the more...'popular' people in Valissa and Rosemarie's grade," I told Tasha, even though coming from me, I wasn't quite sure if she would help us.

She glanced at me and then at Dimitri. "Um, okay," she agreed, looking down toward the other tables. "Well, there's Camille Conte over there...and Jesse Zeklos over there."

Both Dimitri and I jumped up once we heard Zeklos. "Where?" I asked. However, I really didn't need to ask that question. I immediately recognized him as if he were Ivan's younger brother. I glanced over at Dimitri and he nodded at me.

"We'll have to ask him some questions later," he told me.

I glanced back over at the Zeklos boy, but my eyes stopped when I caught sight of Mikhail Tanner. "I'll be right back," I muttered to both of them, mainly to Dimitri. I hated leaving Dimitri with Tasha, but I had bigger problems to worry about than that. I quickly walked toward Mikhail. "Hey," I greeted him.

He looked back at me, and I couldn't interpret his aura or his facial expression. "Hi."

"You didn't answer my question last night," I told him as I caught up to his side.

"I don't think there's any other answer than the obvious one," he replied.

I gave him a sly smile. "Right. Of course there isn't, I'm just looking into it a little bit too much. I mean, any random guy could burst into that lounge room at that time of night and save me from the royal Victor Dashkov."

He sighed. "You aren't going to let this go, are you?"

"You know me pretty well considering we've only had one other conversation." I continued to follow him across the campus. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Well, I was heading to the church," he replied.

"Oh." The disappointment was evident in my voice and Mikhail smirked, amused by my reaction.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," he told me.

"I think you're just saying that because you don't want me to come with you," I remarked.

This time Mikhail actually laughed. "You know me pretty well considering we've only had one other conversation," he mocked me.

I followed him anyway. "...Do you go to the church often?' I asked, trying to make friendly conversation

"Not until recently," he answered, and he turned back into the quiet guy I was used to. We walked in silence the rest of the way until we reached the church. The wood floors creaked as we took a seat in one of the many pews. The church wasn't as elaborate as some of the Orthodox cathedrals I was used to seeing, but it still reminded me of home with some of the details.

I kneeled down and buried my head into my clasped hands, overwhelmed by the complete silence surrounding me. Maya... My head shot up as I heard Ivan's voice. However, only Mikhail was in the building sitting beside me._ Maya, why didn't Dimitri save you last night?_ I shifted uncomfortably, knowing I couldn't respond. _He should've been there to protect you._

"You can't expect Dimitri to be perfect," I muttered.

Mikhail glanced over at me with a questioning look. "Considering I don't know who he is, I can't promise anything."

I shook my head. "Sorry...I just...that wasn't..." I struggled to find the words to explain. "I was just talking to myself," I finally said. It couldn't be any farther away from the truth. I was so sick of lying, but I would sound crazy if I told him the truth.

"...You would think my answer is insane to the question you asked last night," Mikhail finally said after a few moments of silence.

"Well, you probably think I'm crazy anyway, so go for it."

"I don't think you're crazy," he immediately reassured me. "I just think you've been through a lot."  
"That's an understatement," I remarked.

"...I understand, Maya. Probably more than you know. I saved you last night because Victor Dashkov had gone after my Moroi girlfriend who specialized in spirit."

I instantly looked at him, surprised by what he just told me. "...You know about spirit? Does your girlfriend work here?"

The flash of pain crossing Mikhail's face made me regret asking those questions. "...She used to...until she turned into a Strigoi by choice..."

For once in my life, I was completely speechless. Had spirit made her so mad she turned herself into a Strigoi? I shivered at the thought, wondering if Adrian, Lissa, or I would ever get to that point. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "...Strigoi turned my Moroi fiance right after he proposed to me. He was a spirit user, too, but somehow transferred spirit to me before he turned.**"**

"...Is that who you were talking to?" He asked.

"...Yeah, we have a bond even though he's still a Strigoi."

"...I wish Sonya and I did," he admitted. "I would do anything just to hear her voice again."

We remained silent for a few moments after that. I knew I couldn't stay here forever, so I awkwardly said my goodbye, not knowing how to handle the situation, and headed out of the church and back to the cafeteria, my mind spinning with the new information I had just learned. Of course, I would be so lucky to run into none other than Victor Dashkov as I entered the cafeteria.

"Maya Schoenberg, what a pleasure running into you," he warmly greeted me, as if nothing had happened last night.

"Wish I could say the same," I remarked, trying to step away from him.

He chuckled. "You crack me up. It's too bad I don't see you more often, Maya. You always put a smile on my face."

"Really? Because last night I swear you weren't smiling," I said. "Now if you'll just excuse me, I need to make sure to get away from you so you won't assault me again." Without giving Victor any time to respond, I charged back toward my seat beside Dimitri.

"Why was Lord Dashkov talking to you?" Tasha asked as if she was accusing me of something.

"He just wanted to welcome me to St. Vladimir's," I responded.

"That was nice of him," Dimitri said.

"Yeah," I agreed, glancing up to see Jesse Zeklos walk by with his other friends. He looked over my way and I couldn't help but shiver at the fact that his eyes were completely identical to Ivan's eyes.

I sighed. Between Jesse and Victor, I knew I would find more trouble in the future.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Confusing Relationships**

Standing in the back of class had to arguably be the most boring task.

I glanced over at Dimitri and he smiled at me as if he were trying to comfort me. The last thing he wanted me to do was to make another scene in class. I wasn't planning on attracting more attention to myself anyway. My 'feud' with Guardian Alto was enough to gain some stares from multiple students. Being Arthur Schoenberg's daughter was enough to gain too many stares from the student body.

I couldn't help but look at Jesse Zeklos, who conveniently happened to be in this class. The similarity between him and Ivan was baffling and looking at him made me remember the ring I wore on my finger. I needed to give it back to him, but I had absolutely no clue how to go about it without attracting the attention of other people. However, asking him to meet me alone wasn't professional of me at all and I could just imagine the rumors that would spread. I already knew rumors about Adrian and I were spreading around court and I really didn't need to gain the reputation of having intimate relationships with students.

The bell couldn't have rung any sooner. I was getting sick of this job already, and I had only been here a month. I couldn't wait to go out and actually go on a mission to find Lissa and Rose. Honestly, I didn't know why we were waiting to take action. I found out what I needed, now I just had to find out their location.

Dimitri came up to me. He had been worried about me ever since my injury. I knew he hadn't bought my lame explanation and he had kept a close eye on me ever since then. Fortunately, nothing extreme happened and I was able to keep out of trouble for the time being. We exited the classroom together and I couldn't help but catch sight of Victor Dashkov standing out in the hallway by his daughter, Natalie. He glanced over my way and when he noticed Dimitri and I together, he smirked. I remembered the words Victor told me almost a month ago: _You two are cute togethe_r. I secretly wondered if I was dragging Dimitri into a dangerous situation.

I grabbed Dimitri's arm and he seemed surprised by my sudden grip. "We need to talk," I said. Once the words escaped my mouth, I immediately began to question how I was going to tell Dimitri about Victor. Anyway I explained the situation, it would sound implausible.

"Okay," he agreed.

We continued to walk, but Victor surprised me when he yanked me away. "I need to talk to Maya for just a moment, Guardian Belikov. I hope you don't mind," he said.

Of course, Dimitri couldn't say no to a royal Moroi so he stepped away to give us some privacy. "You really have no limits, do you?" I told him once Dimitri was far enough away.

"Apparently you don't either," he replied.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Luckily, Victor had become weaker over the past month and I was able to slip out of his grip.

"If you say anything to anyone, I will make sure Dimitri will suffer the consequences."

I stared at him in shock. "Dimitri?"

He grinned. "He seems to be your weak point."

"You are a sick man," I hissed before charging away from him. I caught up to Dimitri, and I tried to act as if nothing happened. I followed him to his room where we sat down on his bed. Suddenly, my mouth became dry as I had absolutely no clue what to say. I couldn't tell him what I had originally wanted to because I knew Victor wasn't bluffing. I couldn't put Dimitri into danger because of me.

Dimitri smirked at me. "You know, you said we needed to talk, but I think this is the quietest I've ever seen you."

"...I know, I'm just not sure how to say this," I replied, thinking before I said anything else. "I found out some things about Valissa and Rosemarie that I thought were rather interesting. I talked to one of the teachers of Moroi magic and apparently Valissa never specialized."

I could see Dimitri's mind begin to spin. "She's only a sophmore. It's not uncommon for Moroi at that age to not specialize yet."

He had a fair point, but I knew the other evidence. "Well, the thing is, Valissa, her family, and Rose were all in a car accident. Valissa's whole family passed, but somehow Rose miraculously survived."  
Dimitri stared at me in confusion. He never knew about the bond I had with Ivan, and I suddenly realized I needed to tell him more than I was planning on. "...Do you remember that one night I was shot?" I asked.

"...Yes," Dimitri answered, obviously not understanding how this pertained to what I was just talking about.

"If Ivan hadn't healed me with spirit, I would have died. The same goes for Rose. If Valissa hadn't healed her from the car crash, she wouldn't have survived either."

We sat in silence for a while as Dimitri took in what I just revealed. "...I remember reading about spirit with Ivan back in school...and I remember reading when spirit users bring people back from the dead they're bound to each other..."

This time I was the one in shock. "...Ivan and I were bound to each other, and I'm assuming Valissa and Rose are as well."

I couldn't distinguish the look on Dimitri's face when he looked at me. "...Why didn't you tell me?"  
I sighed, grabbing his hands. "I'm sorry, but we honestly had no clue what was going on at the time. We wanted to try to figure it out before we got anyone else involved."

"...Is that why you chose him over me?" Dimitri finally asked.

I didn't quite know how to answer that question. "...No," I replied. "No, that's not why. I chose Ivan because, even though I did love you, I was afraid you and I couldn't have a future together." It felt weird to finally admit it. I had loved Ivan as well, but I ended up with him mainly because of practical reasons and pressure from other people.

"We're back at this conversation again," Dimitri sighed.

"I know. I'm kind of getting sick of it. Should we just make-out and get it over with?" I joked.

Dimitri smirked. "Tempting."

Even though I was just joking, I could immediately sense the difference in our auras. This wasn't a joke. Looking into Dimitri's eyes, I knew it was only inevitable that we would end up together. Somehow, fate had brought us together here for a reason.

Slowly, our faces inched toward each other and our lips were just about to touch when we heard a knock on the door. "Should we just make-out and ignore it?" Dimitri joked.

"Tempting," I mocked. However, we both got up off of his bed and opened the door to see Alberta on the other side.

She seemed surprised to see us together in Dimitri's room. She knew we were close friends, but I wondered now if she assumed we were more than that. Of course, at this point in time, Dimitri and I had no clue what we were so she probably had a better idea than we did. "Hi, Guardian Petrov, what can we do for you?" I asked.

"Nobody knows where Guardian Tanner is."


	25. Chapter 25

**Wooo! Snow day - and therefore a new chapter! I can't believe I'm already at chapter 25!**

**Many of you have been commenting about if Maya will ever meet Rose...and I have to say it won't be for a looong while before they meet face-to-face. I'm trying to weave this story seamlessly into the actual Vampire Academy series, and since Rose never truly meets Maya in the series, it won't be until after Last Sacrifice until Maya comes face-to-face with Rose. However, I do have some interesting ideas for when I get close to Blood Promise where Rose and Maya could cross paths. :)**

**purrfictionist - hahaha, I feel the exact same way! The more I write the more I'm like 'dang it. I like Maya and Dimitri together, but I would be murdered if I didn't make Dimitri end up with Rose.' Actually, Maya and Dimitri's relationship could pose some interesting situations later on when Rose is involved... ;)That should be fun to write.**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Unexpected**

I hadn't spoken to Mikhail Tanner since that day in the church and the news that he disappeared didn't necessarily surprise me. I had a good feeling about where Mikhail was, but Dimitri began his usual questioning before I could even say anything.

"What do you mean nobody knows where he is? Did he just disappear?"

Alberta shrugged. "We assumed he has left campus. We've searched everywhere and we haven't found him. We were wondering if you would happen to know anything."

"I'm sorry, we weren't very close with him," Dimitri answered.

"Actually, I think I might know," I finally said.

Alberta raised an eyebrow, skeptical of my response.

"Guardian Petrov, you can't expect anything but surprises from Maya," Dimitri joked as he placed his hand on my back. I was a bit uncomfortable with him being so blatantly affectionate, but Alberta didn't seem to even notice so I relaxed a little bit into his hand.

I glanced up at Dimitri and smiled. "You know me well, Guardian Belikov." I turned my attention to Alberta. "I don't know exactly where Guardian Tanner is, but I think I know why he left campus."

"Alright, well, how about you present your idea to the rest of the guardians?" Alberta suggested and we followed her until we reached a conference room. Even after a month, I still couldn't quite figure out my way around every nook of the campus. All the guardians looked up when we entered with Alberta. My eyes stopped when I saw Stan Alto and he grinned at me.

"Of course Schoenberg would know," he said.

I shrugged. "What can I say? I have a talent for knowing the unknown."

Alberta sighed. "Just tell us what you know."

"Yes ma'am," I muttered as I took a seat in the last empty chair around the table. Dimitri stood behind me with a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Mikhail was close to Sonya who had turned Strigoi by choice. Why wouldn't he leave campus to go after her?"

The rest of the guardians stared at me, dumbfounded. "Why didn't we think of that?" Stan asked and the guardians began to argue amongst themselves. I got up from the chair and headed to the door, thinking I couldn't do anything to help, but Stan grabbed my arm and pulled me back to the table.

"Is there anyway you could figure out where Mikhail is?" He whispered to me. The way he asked the question made me feel like he didn't care how I did it, as long as I found out where he was.

"...Yes," I answered. "Can you wait a day or two? It might take a little bit of time."

Stan nodded. "Take all the time you need, Schoenberg. We'll keep in touch. Now, make sure you and Dimitri get out of here before it gets crazy."

"Thanks, Guardian Alto. I promise I won't let you down," I whispered back before taking Dimitri out of the conference room with me.

"I swear, Maya, you surprise me everyday with something new," Dimitri said once we were out in the hallway. "When did you find out about Mikhail and Sonya? I don't think I've ever talked to Guardian Tanner and suddenly you know his life story."

I grinned. "I have to keep some of my secrets otherwise I wouldn't surprise you anymore," I teased.

Dimitri grinned back at me and cupped my face in his hands. "I love you, Maya. I don't want to pretend that we can only be friends when I know we both feel more. I know this can't be forever, but even if we're only together a couple weeks, it would be worth every moment."

I stared at him, unsure of what to say. "Dammit, I hate when you make me speechless," I replied.  
He laughed. "I don't think you need to say anything else," he told me before he kissed me. Something about being with Dimitri felt so right and suddenly I didn't feel alone anymore. I had told him about my bond with Ivan and I felt as if slowly I wouldn't have to keep as many secrets from him. He balanced my impulsive attitude; he was my steady rock, always there to keep me in track.

"Whoa, might want to contain yourselves before the other guardians start to leave the room." Dimitri and I immediately broke apart, surprised by Stan's voice. Stan walked by and playfully punched Dimitri's arm. "She's quite the catch, but make sure you keep track of her. You never know what she's up to next."

"I'll try my best, but I think she has more tricks up her sleeve than she even realizes," Dimitri replied.

Stan laughed and grinned at me. "I think you're right. Maya, you are quite possibly one of the most unexpected people I've met."

"...Is that a compliment?" I asked.

Stan smirked and shrugged. "I'll leave that up for you to decide."


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six: The Countdown**

I was afraid to close my eyes.

I knew the only way to find out Mikhail's location was to get in contact with Ivan. However, I wasn't quite sure if I was ready to face the red-eyed version of my past fiance again, especially after getting back together with Dimitri. My feelings would be jumbled and confused if I saw Ivan again, but this wasn't for me; it was for Mikhail and all the other school guardians.

I sighed and closed my eyes, allowing the rustling wind outside to settle me down into a deep slumber.

_I didn't recognize the building I was standing inside. The cold concrete floor chilled my feet and the dark walls weren't inviting. I felt uncomfortable in the unsettling place. Suddenly, a light turned on and I saw Ivan's silhouette in the corner of the room._

_"You only need a month to get over me, huh?"_

_My stomach instantly dropped. "Ivan, no, I-"_

_"-It was Dimitri all along, wasn't it? You said you loved me, but you really were in love with him the whole time!" He grabbed my arms and yanked me into a chair perfectly positioned in the middle of the room. "You really are a bloodwhore!"_

_"Ivan, I never meant to hurt you..."_

_He pulled the ring off of my finger and chucked it away. "Don't speak another word," he hissed as he inched toward my neck. "This is what you want, isn't it?"_

_"No-"_

_"-I said don't speak!"_

_A sob escaped from my very being as Ivan sunk his teeth into my neck. I had never experienced someone drinking my blood and my body relaxed as the endorphins released. I cursed myself the entire time for liking the sensation running through my body. "Stop," I moaned._

_I thought for a moment he would drink all my blood away and I would be a Strigoi; however, he had stopped just before that point and I slouched weakly in the chair. He grabbed my head and slammed it against the back of the chair, causing my head to throb. I needed some way to get out of this dream - someone needed to wake me up._

_"...You want to know where Mikhail is?"_

_I couldn't bring myself to speak so I nodded my head as lightly as possible because of the pain still coursing through it._

_"...Then break it off with Dimitri."_

_I nodded again._

I gasped and opened my eyes. Sweat stuck my hair to my forehead and I rolled out of the covers and struggled to the bathroom. "Dammit, he didn't even tell me where Mikhail was," I muttered as I checked myself out in the bathroom. Even though I knew it was a dream, I couldn't help but check to make sure I didn't have a bite mark on my neck. I sighed when I saw my bare, unblemished skin. I glanced over at my bed and knew I couldn't go back to sleep. In fact, I wasn't completely comfortable being by myself after the terrifying confrontation I had with Ivan. I could imagine him bursting through my window and attacking me at any moment.

Without thinking, I left my room and headed to Dimitri's. He was the only one who could comfort me right now. I knocked on his door and I was surprised at how quickly he opened the door. Based on the messiness of his hair and his attire of only sweatpants, I knew I had woken him up. However, for only having woken up a couple seconds ago, he seemed alert when he studied me. "Maya, you're shaking. What happened?"

"...I can't sleep..." I whispered, and I started to regret my decision to come, worrying I might have put Dimitri in danger. "...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have woke you up..." I began to back away, but Dimitri grabbed my hand.

"Maya, wait. I can't let you leave if you're like this. You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to, but at least come in and settle down."

I sighed and obeyed Dimitri's words. I entered into his room and slumped down onto his bed. I looked down at my hands in my lap and noticed they really were shaking - all of me was shaking. Dimitri sat down beside me and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close to his chest. "Oh God, Dimitri...don't leave...I...I'm afraid," I whispered.

I could practically feel Dimitri worriedly staring at me. "Maya..." His lips carassed the top of my head and I looked up at him, our faces only inches apart. "Maya...please, please tell me what's going on. I can't stand to be in the dark while you're in danger..."

I closed my eyes, debating what I should say. "...Ivan...he's..." I paused for a moment, bracing myself for when I exposed the truth. "...He's a Strigoi."

Dimitri immediately froze. "What?"

"...He's a Strigoi and I'm afraid he's after me," I whispered. "...I tried to ask him where Mikhail was...but...he got angry..." I took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm sorry...I should have told you before..." I hesitantly looked up into Dimitri's eyes and was surprised to see a relieved expression on his face.

"Maya, I'm just glad you're finally telling me...I feel like you've been keeping too many things to yourself. I want to be that person you can talk to about anything. I want to always be at your side. I don't think you realize how amazing you truly are - you are the most beautiful and strongest person I've ever met. I love you so much, Maya."

I tried to blink back tears. "Dimitri...if I'm all you say I am, then you are a saint compared to me."

"...If I'm a saint, then you're also a saint," he replied. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Maya. You are-"

"-Oh, just shut up and kiss me," I finally blurted out.

Dimitri laughed before he gladly obeyed my order and kissed me.

_Maya, you are playing a dangerous game._ Even though Ivan's words were intimidating, I ignored them. I was finally with Dimitri and I felt lighter and happier after talking to him about what had been troubling me. I didn't want this blissful moment to end. "I love you," I was able to mutter in between our kisses. My words only intensified the moment and it was as if Dimitri's arms couldn't pull me close enough to him even though our bodies were pressed together.

_Maya, I'm going to count to five._

What, am I some sort of child? Ivan's threat seemed weak and I continued to let Dimitri kiss me.

_One._

I began to feel uncomfortable as Dimitri slid my shirt over my head. His fingers roamed my bare skin and made me shiver as Ivan continued his incessant counting.

_Two._

"You are so beautiful, Maya," Dimitri whispered.

_Three._

I could feel my breath quicken as more and more clothing removed itself.

_Four._

My mind was racing and my heart practically pounded out of my chest as I stared at Dimitri. I could see it in his eyes - he wanted to do this with me. I wanted to do this, too, but the timing wasn't right.

_Five._

The window immediately shattered and Dimitri instinctively shoved me behind him as the glass sliced into him. However, the glass was the least of our worries. Three unfamiliar Strigoi were outside the window, staring at us like we were their prey. _Dammit, dammit, dammit,_ I swore to myself. This was like Ivan's proposal all over again, except Ivan was now the one causing the trouble. _Why do I always put the ones I love in danger?_

Suddenly, one of the Strigoi charged at Dimitri. A scream erupted out of me and I tried to help him, but someone pulled me away. At first, I thought it was one of the other Strigoi, and I tried to attack whoever held me. "Maya, calm down, it's just me." I would recognize the accent anywhere.

"Abe," I instantly sank into his arms.

"I have to get you out of here," he whispered to me.

"No, we can't leave Dimitri."

"Don't worry, my guardians will take care of the Strigoi. Unfortunately, I don't think you'll ever be out of danger if you stay here." Abe's eyes traveled down and I blushed as I remembered I was completely naked. "No need to blush, Schoenberg," he flirtatiously reassured me as he took off his jacket and helped put it on me before he guided me off campus and onto what I presumed was his private jet.

"Wait, Abe, hold on."

He turned toward me and expectantly stared at me.

"...Am I a coward for leaving now?"

Abe scoffed. "You're Maya Schoenberg. Coward isn't a word in your vocabulary."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Trapped in the Bathroom**

Guilt ate away at my stomach as the jet plane flew away from St. Vladimir's. I had just left Dimitri to fend against a pack of Strigoi. Even though Abe had claimed his guardians were helping, I couldn't help but feel utterly gut-wrenchingly sick. I am a coward. Negative thoughts couldn't stop invading my mind. I buried my head into my hands, unable to cope with the fact that Dimitri could be dead.

"Schoenberg, as much as I love the fact that you are scantily clothed in my jacket, I can't have you moping around like that." I felt him place a pile of clothes on my lap. I slowly released my hands away from my face and glanced up at Abe, blinking away any left-over tears. He face was closer than I thought it was going to be and I was surprised to see such a solemn look in his eyes, as if he were upset about leaving Dimitri, too.

I sighed. "You know, your timing really sucked."

Abe smirked. "Well, what can I say? I was so jealous I invaded your love life to save you from three monstrous Strigoi to hopefully win over your precious heart."

Even though I assumed his response was sarcastic, I couldn't help but wonder if it had any hidden meaning. Rather, unhidden meaning with the way he was staring at me. A part of me couldn't believe Abe was hitting on me right after he tore me away from my intimate moment with Dimitri. I sighed again and got up. "Is there a bathroom in this thing?"

"What? You're not going to put on a show here?"

"What? Are you calling me a bloodwhore too?" My response came out harsher than I had anticipated. "I'll go find the bathroom myself," I muttered, walking past the speechless Abe.

Fortunately, the bathroom wasn't too far away and I slammed the door behind me and locked it as I closed my eyes and sunk down to the cold, tiled floor. My whole body shook, overwhelmed with emotions. There was still so much I had wanted to tell Dimitri. And what about Valissa and Rose? Would they ever be found? What would the other guardians, such as Stan, think of me now that I was gone? And what about Victor Dashkov? Would anyone stop his schemes once Valissa returned? I shook my head, realizing what I had to do. I needed to get back to St. Vladimir's and sort everything out. They needed me there.

"Maya."

I recognized the voice immediately. My eyes flung open to see Ivan's face. Before I could do anything, his hand covered my mouth while his other arm pressed me against the door.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he whispered, even though his menacing red eyes did not convince me. "You broke it off with Dimitri, even though it was not of your choice, and therefore I can tell you where Mikhail is."

I narrowed my eyes, unable to trust his words.

Ivan's eyes shifted from my face and travelled down to my hand where his ring was still on my finger. "Why do you still wear that?" He asked as his hand uncovered my mouth.

"...To remind myself how easily life can be taken away...and to cherish every moment you have with the ones you love," I replied. "...Please tell me you didn't kill Dimitri. Ivan, losing you was bad enough, I can't stand the thought to losing both of my best friends."

Ivan's expression softened. "Maya, I can't stand the thought of killing my best friend or hurting you. I'm sorry about the other dream...I was starving and had a fight with other Strigoi and then I find out you were with Dimitri...and I snapped. I hate it, but I guess I can't help but be a monster."

"You're not a monster right now," I reasoned.

"I'm always a monster, Maya, and I hate it. I hate it all...just put me out of my misery."

"What?" I couldn't believe the words coming out of Ivan's mouth.

"You heard me, just kill me here. There has to be a stake somewhere nearby. If anyone's going to do it, I want it to be you."

"Ivan...no...no! Why would you think I would do that? Seeing you die once was enough! I already blame myself for you dying and I can't be the cause of this death or it will kill me, Ivan, it will kill me!"

A knock on the door instantly made both Ivan and I jump. "Schoenberg? What's going on in there?"

I tried to reach for the door handle to turn the lock, but Ivan beat me to it. "I cannot let you leave. If you can't kill me then we'll die together in here!"

"Maya?" I could sense the urgency in Abe's voice not only by his tone, but also by the fact that he used my first name. "Maya?!"

"Abe! Abe! Break down the door-!" My voice was cut off by Ivan covering my mouth with his hand. He wrapped his other arm around me and pulled me away from the door.

"You don't want to stay with me?" Ivan whispered. "I'm sure you would stay with Dimitri. Or, if he asked you, I'm sure you would take his life for him if he were a Strigoi. Or that Abe guy. Whether or not you realize it, I could see you were enthralled with him since day one. You would do anything for him, but why not me, Maya? Am I not the one you would have married if I were still a Moroi? Am I not the one who saved your life?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. My heart hurt for Ivan and part of me wished I could just comply to his wish, but I knew I wouldn't be able to do it. I wouldn't be able to deal with the guilt I felt afterward. _If only I could bring him back to being a Moroi..._

I struggled against his grip, but my strength was nothing compared to his. Ivan was able to hold me back as if I were light as a feather. My heart raced as I heard a loud banging on the door. I had no doubt Abe would be able to break in, but I wasn't sure what would happen after that. I already put Dimitri in danger, and now I was also dragging Abe into my problems.

Right as the door burst open, Ivan chucked me to the side and marched forward to face Abe. I painfully smashed my head against the wall and immediately my vision became blurry. "Abe..." I muttered as I tried to get up, but suddenly a massively painful sensation coursed through my body. I fell down to the floor again, unable to move. Ivan's horrifying scream filled the entire space and I instantly understood what was happening._ No! I wanted it to be you!_ Ivan's thought made me cringe, knowing that our bond was being severed through Abe. I blinked a couple of times to focus my sight. Just as I had expected, Abe had staked Ivan. This time it was my own scream which rang out as Ivan fell to the floor beside me.

"Maya!" Abe pushed Ivan's body to the side and kneeled down beside me. He grabbed me and help pull me up into his lap. "Maya...I'm sorry. I didn't want to do that, but he was haunting you. You needed to break away from him..."

I couldn't respond. Partially because of the physical pain restricting me, but also because I unfortunately knew Abe was right.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Only a Phone Call Away**

My hands were shaking as I held the phone to my ear, waiting for an answer.

_Please, please pick up_.

"Hello?"

Hearing the familiar voice made me sigh in relief and my heart flutter. "Dimka..."

"Maya! Maya, where are you? Are you okay?"

I laughed. Of course, Dimitri would be worried about me when he was the one who was left to face three Strigoi on his own. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I was so worried about you...it's nice to hear your voice again."

"You, too..."

There was an awkward silence, and I couldn't help but feel the sexual tension. "...Dimitri, I'm sorry I left. It wasn't because of you...God knows I would never want to leave you...I just...it's complicated..."  
"More secrets, huh?" I didn't blame Dimitri for being upset with me.

"More secrets," I agreed. "But they're secrets to keep you out of danger."

"I don't care about being in danger or not, Maya! I care about you! I told you before, I can't stand to watch you struggle! If you're facing some danger, I want to face it with you! It kills me to know those Strigoi were after you, Maya, it kills me!"

Those were the same words I had said to Ivan and hearing them from Dimitri made my heart break. I collapsed into the seat behind me and tried to keep the tears from falling down my cheeks; however, it was a lost cause. I had hurt the person I loved the most and I couldn't take back what I had already done.

"...Maya?" Dimitri sounded hesitant, as if he were worried he had said too much.

"...Ivan's dead," I whispered. "...He trapped me in a room and wanted me to kill him. He couldn't handle being a Strigoi. He hated it, Dimitri, and I couldn't do it. I couldn't do what he wanted most. Abe had to break in and stake him..."

"Abe? Is that who you left with?"

"Yes..." I admitted. "I was in danger at St. Vladimir's and not even you could have saved me from it. Just promise me once you find Valissa and Rose, you'll protect them with all your being. They'll face the same problems."

"How can I protect them if I don't know what's after them?"

"Because you're Dimitri Belikov and that's what you do. That's why I love you."

I could hear him sigh. "Maya, I love you too. More than you probably realize. That's why this is so hard. Will I ever see you again?"

Before I could answer, the door opened and Abe entered the room. "I don't know," I replied. I glanced up at Abe, who looked considerably paler than he had previously. Staking Ivan had taken a toll on him and I knew I needed to help him. "I have to go..."

"Oh, okay...well...good-bye..."

"Good-bye," I said, hoping that it wasn't the last word I would ever say to Dimitri. I closed the phone as Abe took a seat beside me. I returned the phone back to him and placed my hand on his to comfort him. "Abe, you did what you had to do."

"I know...I just didn't realize it would hurt you so much..."

"I'm fine now, and that's all that matters." I wasn't used to seeing Abe like this and I wished he would return back to his humorous self. "Plus, I was almost naked that entire time. You can't tell me you didn't appreciate that."

I could see a faint mischievous glimmer in Abe's eyes. "I think your ego's been getting bigger lately, Schoenberg. I mean, yes, you're possibly one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen, but it doesn't mean you have to flaunt it."

I blinked a couple times, surprised by his words. "One of the most beautiful girls you've ever seen? Aren't you laying it on a little thick?"

He shrugged. "Just saying it the way it is."

"Well, then you should be really proud of yourself for saving one of the most beautiful damsels in distress you've ever seen," I replied, smiling at him. This moment seemed ironic. Only a couple months ago I was being consoled by him when I blamed myself for Ivan's death, and now I was consoling him when he felt guilty about staking Ivan and causing me pain.

Abe looked over at me and I couldn't help but sense something between us. Anywhere our skin touched felt as if it were burning._ I see a future with you and him_. Yeva's words were pounding in my head. Abe was like my best friend. He was the one I could talk to about anything. He was the one who always made me laugh. I trusted him and, for some odd reason, his hard exterior shed when he was with me. I knew he was more than some mobster involved in sketchy business.

"Schoenberg, if you look at me like that for one more second I can guarantee I won't be able to stop myself from pouncing on you," he told me, his flirtatious attitude returning.

"Well, maybe you should invest in some lessons on resisting temptation if you're going to keep me around," I remarked.

Abe laughed. "Oh, trust me Schoenberg, you'll be sticking around. I would be a fool to let you go now."

"Speaking of sticking around - where exactly are we heading?" I asked. If he wasn't going to let me go, I needed to at least know what I was getting into.

"Kentucky."

I stared at him in confusion. "Why the hell are we going to Kentucky?"

"Because that's where Mikhail Tanner is."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: "The Moment You See Her Might Be the Moment You Freeze Up"**

Fortunately, we weren't far from Kentucky and within half an hour, Abe and I were stepping off of the jet. "...Do I want to know how you discovered Mikhail's location?' I asked him, blindly following him through the unusually isolated setting of trees and wilderness.

"Probably not," Abe vaguely replied.

I expected such an answer, but I still couldn't help but be disappointed. Someday I would learn at least some of Abe's many secrets. If I was going to be travelling with him from now on, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I discovered the truth about the mysterious man. Of course, whether or not I liked the truth would be a whole other story.

"What are we going to say to Mikhail once we find him?"

Abe glanced back at me with a sympathetic smile. "I'm afraid that's your job, not mine."

I sighed, knowing he was right. Only I understood what Mikhail was going through; thus, it only made sense that I would be the one to talk. However, I wasn't quite sure what to say. Did I dare try to send him back to St. Vladimir's? He probably wouldn't return if I didn't, and heading back to that school was not an option for me. He technically could tag along with me and Abe, but I had a feeling Abe wouldn't appreciate that. This whole situation seemed like a dead end.

I continued to follow Abe, unsure of where we were heading. Part of me wondered if he was just dragging me out into the middle of nowhere for the heck of it. However, I knew Abe was always a man with ulterior motives. He wouldn't bring me here for no reason. "Abe, are you sure Mikhail is here? This seems like a really random place for him to be."

"Do you trust me, Schoenberg?"

"Of course I do," I replied without hesitation. Abe found me and saved me after I watched Ivan turn into a Strigoi. Abe was by my side when I had to break the news to the Belikov family. Abe staked Ivan for me when I couldn't. He was my strength when I was weak.

My answer stunned him as he stopped in his tracks. "You really mean that, don't you?"

I smirked at him. "Do you not trust me, Abe?"

"How could I not trust a face like yours?" He remarked as we continued on our way.

Sure enough, we miraculously caught sight of Mikhail. Once again, Abe had pulled off some miraculous search that no one else could have. "Mikhail!" I exclaimed as I ran past Abe and toward the familiar-looking man.

Mikhail looked more alarmed than anything else. "Maya? Are you with St. Vladimir's to bring me back?"

"No, no...I just...I was worried. I know you wanted to go after Sonya..." This was harder than I thought. No words came to my mouth. I glanced back at Abe, who was taking his sweet time to meet up with us. "...It's not worth it, Mikhail," I blurted out. "Staking her will be the most painful thing you could ever do."

"No, letting her continue to be a monster would be the most painful thing I could do," Mikhail reasoned. "I can't stand the thought that she's out there and hurting people...Maya, you understand, right? I have to do it. I know it's not going to be easy, but taking the easy option isn't what I do. I have to do what's right."

I blinked back tears, knowing he was right. I secretly hated myself for not staking Ivan myself. It's what he wanted. I always failed Ivan, and it was my last chance to do something for him instead of myself. "...Of course I understand..." I whispered. "I respect what you're doing, but are you sure you're ready? I mean, the instant you see her might be the instant you freeze up."

Abe silently watched me and I could see him interpreting all my words based on what had previously happened with Ivan. He stepped toward me and I was afraid he would try to console me, but he just stood closely by my side. Mikhail glanced over at Abe in curiosity, but fortunately he didn't say anything about it even though I could imagine what he thought about our relationship. "...I guess I won't know if I'm ready until I face her," he truthfully replied.

I bit my lip, unsure of what else to say. "Mikhail-"

"-Well, Schoenberg, you lead us to Mikhail one way or the other."

I recognized the voice immediately and my stomach dropped to the soles of my feet. I turned to see a man I really didn't want to see: Stan Alto.


	30. Chapter 30

**Ahh! Sorry - all the more recent chapters seem to be shorter. Sometimes I get to a certain point and I'm like, "That would make a good end to a chapter" without realizing how truly short the chapter is. I promise the next chapter is longer! But anywhoo, ENJOY! :) (and don't let the title of this chapter upset you - there will be plenty of juiciness between Maya and Dimitri at a later time ;) )**

**Chapter Thirty: Good-bye, Dimitri**

Unfortunately, Stan Alto was not alone. Other guardians surrounded him. Some of them were familiar faces such as Guardian Petrov, while others were complete strangers. However, one individual stood out among them all.

"Dimitri? Wasn't I just on the phone with you?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew what had happened. "You tracked the call!"

Dimitri approached me. "Maya, I did what I had to do..."

I stepped away from him. "No! No! You didn't! You knew I couldn't go back! I trusted you!"

"Maya-"

"-Step away from her, Belikov." The overprotective tone of Abe's voice sent shivers down my spine as he placed himself between me and Dimitri. The rest of the guardians glanced uncomfortably between the three of us, but particularly between me and Abe.

A group of the guardians distracted themselves away from the drama and grabbed Mikhail, who struggled but couldn't compete with the combined strength holding him. "What are you going to do with him?" I asked.

"Same thing we're going to do to you: send you to Court where you'll be punished with custodial jobs," Stan replied, but I could tell by the look in his eyes it was the last thing he wanted to do to me.

Dimitri glanced over at me and I instantly understood the look in his eyes. He was determined to make sure I wouldn't go to Court, even if it meant hurting his own reputation. _No_, I mouthed to him. I couldn't let him do that.

Luckily, Abe was thinking the same thing as Dimitri. He grabbed my hand and began to slowly lead me away from the group of guardians. Even though the other guardians were occupied with Mikhail, Stan blatantly noticed what we were doing. However, he didn't do anything about it. He simply winked at me and whispered something to Dimitri. Dimitri immediately followed us.

"What are you doing?" I whispered to him. "You need to be back there."

"I need to be with you," Dimitri countered.

"No! No, I can't do this to you. Dimitri, you're better than some rogue guardian."

"So are you!"

Abe's grip tightened and his pace quickened. I knew he was uncomfortable with the fact that Dimitri was coming with us. I glanced over at him, and his face was stiff as he continued back to the jet. "Dimitri, please, go..."

However, Dimitri was uncharacteristically stubborn as he grabbed my other hand. I cringed as the two men pulled me on either side. "Maya, just listen to me."

I sighed. "Fine." Abe took this as a sign to let go of me, and I stepped toward Dimitri. "I'm listening," I told him, twisting my hand out of his and crossing my arms across my chest.

"You have every right to be mad at me, but just hear me out. I was so worried about you. I had no clue where you were or if you were even alive. When I heard your voice, I knew I had to see you once more. Maya, I only did this because I love you."

The words were like sandpaper scratching against my skin. I realized this was it. This was the end. I couldn't keep up my relationship with Dimitri any longer. As soon as I stepped off of St. Vladimir's campus, I stepped into the real world. My relationship with Dimitri was simply a fantasy we both wished for, but in reality it wasn't practical. "...Stop, Dimitri. Stop. We can't do this anymore."

Dimitri's face immediately dropped.

I felt my gut wrench seeing his disappointed expression. "You knew this point had to come..."

"Already?"

"You said it would be worth it even if it was only a day long," I reminded him. I tried to reach for him, but he backed away. "Please, Dimitri, you know it's the only way." Dimitri's eyes darted toward Abe. "Don't drag him into this," I warned him. "This is about us, Dimitri. Not him."

"Are you sure about that? If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't be leaving me."

I became so upset I accidentally blurted out, "No, if it wasn't for Victor Dashkov, I wouldn't be leaving."

Dimitri's eyes widened. "What?"

"You didn't hear that," I said, trying my best to use compulsion. "This whole fight never happened. I had to leave because I was reassigned. Your main mission is to find Rose and Valissa and protect them with your life, you understand?"

Dimitri nodded.

"I love you, Dimitri, and I always will, but it's time I need to go." I hadn't realized I was crying until I saw my reflection in Dimitri's dazed eyes. I quietly stepped forward and kissed him before leaving with Abe.

"You okay, Schoenberg?" Abe cautiously asked.

"I will be..." I replied. For so long, I had waited to be with Dimitri, and I hated that it had to end so soon. However, I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I put Dimitri in danger. In my mind, I kept telling myself:_ I'm making the right choice, I'm making the right choice..._ The thoughts in my mind couldn't erase the sickening feeling in my gut. "Or at least I think I will be..."


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One: The Secret News**

As one can imagine, working with Abe Mazur was like unlike any other experience. I was still unsure of all the details of his work, but I slowly learned that the business he was involved in was more dangerous than I realized. However, Abe seemed determined to keep me out of the sketchiest of his work. I appreciated it, but at the same time I couldn't help but be curious.

One mission in particular interested me. Abe often made himself deals with other people. Normally, these deals would be bets for certain events to occur. Abe had always joked he had too much money to lose if he didn't win me over within the next year...or, at least I think he was joking. Abe flirted with me all the time and I always assumed it was to just mess me. However, the more he did it, the more confused I became. Dimitri was still on my mind frequently and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking of him. The last thing I needed was some powerful man continually flashing his charm at me.

So, when the opportunity came to leave for a while, I jumped on it. I'm not sure how Abe got in touch with such a young Alchemist as Sydney Sage, but he apparently promised her to harm the man who raped her sister. Growing up where I did, I wasn't going to tolerate any sexual harassment. I had seen my mom suffer from it when I was young and now I felt the need to take action. I couldn't stand by and allow it to happen without the man facing the consequences he deserved.

"Schoenberg, I don't doubt you'll do what you have to, but just make sure to come back," Abe told me as we were waiting for my flight.

I smirked at him. "I've been with you for almost two years now, why would you worry about me leaving now?"

Abe gave me a knowing look. "Because you're always unpredictable."

"Here's the thing: you're assuming I'm going to leave and never come back, but I'm unpredictable so therefore I'll have to return just to be unpredictable."

Abe sighed and smiled at me. "You never cease to amuse me, Maya." It wasn't often when Abe called me by my first name, but when he did, my heart raced. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on my forehead, which only made my heart palpitate at an excruciating rate. "Come back soon," he whispered.

I hesitantly looked up, unsure if I wanted to see the expression in his eyes. My feelings were still jumbled with Dimitri and Abe was not helping the situation. "I'll try my best."

Just then, an announcement came overhead and I knew I had to get going. I quickly grabbed my luggage and headed to my flight. One of the benefits about being in connection with Abe was that I sat in first class. I waited in the plane as other passengers took their seat. I took out my phone to turn it off, but it surprised me when it began to ring. At first, I thought Abe was messing with me until I recognized the number.

_Dimitri._

I had a few conversations with Dimitri after our sort-of breakup in Kentucky. However, I was always hesitant to answer his calls. My gut told me I needed to answer this call, but the timing was all off. I sighed as I ignored the call and turned off the phone before placing it back in my carry on bag.  
I tried to fall asleep once the plane lifted off, but I couldn't make myself comfortable. What could Dimitri possibly be calling about? Had something happened at St. Vladimir's? Was he in danger? I shifted uncomfortably until I finally became exhausted of worrying and closed my eyes to doze off.

_"Maya, where have you been?"_

_I sighed. Great, the last thing I needed to add onto the plate was Adrian Ivashkov. "I think the better question would be, 'Maya, where haven't you been?'" I retorted._

_Adrian suggestively raised one of his eyebrows. "Wow, did I start the streak of your sexual journey?"_  
_I rolled my eyes. "Not like that, Ivashkov. Why did you invade my dreams anyway? Is it for the same reason Dimitri tried to call me?"_

_Adrian's usual smirk only grew bigger. "Dimitri called you? Oh man, that must have been a lovely conversation." He knew about my awkward break-up with Dimitri, but not all the details that came with it._

_"There was no conversation," I told him. "I didn't pick up." I stared off into the surroundings, which consisted of a ski resort. "May I ask why we're here?"_

_Adrian's face fell. "You really don't know?"_

_I flailed my arms in frustration. "Don't know what?" Sometimes Adrian could be absolutely infuriating. Obviously, something had happened if both Adrian and Dimitri were contacting me._

_"...St. Vladimir's is here for winter break! I hadn't seen you here and I was worried." I could see a flash in Adrian's aura. He wasn't lying, but he was blatantly not telling the truth._

_"I don't work at St. Vladimir's anymore. I left because I was being hunted down by my Strigoi ex-fiance and Victor Dashkov," I blandly explained as if the story wasn't very interesting at all. "Why is St. Vlad's here? Did something happen?"_

_"Victor Dashkov hunted you down?" Adrian asked, avoiding the subject I tried to introduce._

_"That shouldn't be a surprise to you, Adrian. I'm a spirit user and he was sick. It was like I was bacon and he was a dog."_

_"I suppose. How about that Ivan? Has he been friendly to you recently?"_

_I sighed. "Adrian, seriously. I will force myself out of this dream if you don't tell me what's going on."_

_"Trust me, Maya, I don't think I'm the person to tell you." Judging by his aura, it was the most honest thing he had said all night._

_My gut twisted and turned, unable to comprehend what Adrian could possibly be hiding from me. "...Did something happen to Dimitri?" I asked._

_Adrian shook his head. "No, don't worry, he's safe, although he..." He stopped himself before saying anything else._

_"Adrian, I swear to God I will rip your head off."_

_Adrian's face told me he believed my threat. "You better take a seat." He lead me to the lobby of the resort and sat down beside me on the couch. "Just remember I'm the messenger, okay? My head's too pretty to rip off."_

_"I'll try to keep it in mind," I replied._

_I stared at him expectantly, and it seemed as if it was hard news for him to digest as well. "I am basing it off of auras, but I'm pretty sure Dimitri and Rose have a more than teacher-student relationship going on."_

_I sat there for a while, processing what I had just learned. "Hmmm..."_

_"Hmmmm?"_

_"Good for him." I meant it. I had dragged him along for so long and I was almost relieved that he was able to move on._

_This time it was Adrian's turn to flail his arms in frustration. "What do you mean good for him? I thought you were madly in love with him! I thought you-" He immediately stopped and observed me. "There's someone else, isn't there?"_

_"No," I said. I couldn't tell if I was lying or not. Even though Abe flirted with me on a regular basis, I always assumed he saw me as his comrade and a little girl. He wasn't actually interested in being a relationship with me. Plus, the age gap posed many obstacles._

_Adrian scrutinized me. "God dammit, Maya, you really aren't lying."_

_"Why are you so upset? You barely even know Dimitri."_

_He dramatically fell back into the couch and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "It's not him. It's Rose."_

_"Ahhh, you are hopelessly in love with the fiery and vibrant Rose and you can't possibly win over her heart when there's a Russian warlord who has already seized her feelings."_

_Suddenly, Adrian jumped up. "You could come and meet Dimitri. He would instantly regain those feeling he had for you and then I could have Rose!"_

_I rolled my eyes. "First of all, there's no way I'm going along with anything you say and second of all, Dimitri wouldn't take me back if he saw me again."_

_"First of all, you go along with what Abe Mazur says so following my lead would be the act of a saint compared to what you normally do, and second of all, what man wouldn't take you back?"_

_I didn't know how to respond to either part of his statement. "...Was that a compliment or insult?" I finally asked._

_"That's up for you to decide," Adrian vaguely responded as he abruptly ended the dream._

I woke up feeling worse than I had when I went to sleep. Fortunately, the plane was almost about to land and I would soon be able to distract myself with tracking down Keith, the man who raped Sydney's sister. I still wasn't sure what I was going to do to him, but I figured that when the time came I would have some sort of idea.

When the plane finally landed, I rushed through the crowd of people and grabbed my luggage as fast as possible. One of Abe's lackeys was waiting for me in the airport and I followed him to his car. He opened the door for me and watched me as I got in. "I can see why he keeps you around."

I was about to make some defensive remark, but he closed the door before I even opened my mouth. I sighed and sank back into the seat as I grabbed out my phone and turned it back on. Even though I was afraid of what Dimitri would tell me, I knew I had to call him at some point. Right now seemed like the best opportunity. I didn't want to make conversation with the creepy driver.

_Twelve missed calls, and they're all from Dimitri..._ It made me nervous. What could possibly be so dire that he's called me that many times? My hands were shaking as I called him back. Abe's lackey looked back at me, but I avoided making eye contact with him as I listened to ringing on the other line. _Please pick up, Dimitri._

"Maya..."

Dimitri's strained voice made my heart break. "Did you really miss me so much that you had to call twelve times?" I joked.

I could practically see the faint smile on his face, but his voice was still sad. "Of course I miss you...but, listen Maya, there's something I have to tell you."

Really? I never would have guessed. I knew my sarcastic disposition wouldn't help the matter any, and instead I replied, "Just make it like a bandaid, Dimitri. Rip it off."

I could hear him hesitate on the other side. "Maya..." He couldn't do it. His voice merely cracked on my name alone. Something really bad had happened. I couldn't hear him crying, but I could imagine a few tears running down his cheeks. If Dimitri was this overcome with emotion, I knew I wouldn't be able to handle the news he had to tell me.

"Was someone hurt?" I asked, trying to slowly ease him into telling me.

"...Yes."

"...Were they just injured or is it worse than that?"

"...Worse," he whispered so quietly I almost couldn't hear him.

"Who was it Dimitri?" I couldn't take it anymore. I just wanted to know, no matter how painful.

Suddenly, the car pulled over and I glanced out the window. I pulled the phone away from my ear. "Um, this isn't our stop," I told the driver.

He glanced back at me with a suggestive look I didn't like. I heard the doors lock and my heart begin to race. I continually swore in my head as he climbed back. I scooted back to the corner of the car, but I was only trapping myself. I brought the phone back to my ear, "Dimitri-" The driver smack the phone away and I tried to kick him, but he straddled me, his weight stopping me from moving.

I screamed, but his hand covered my mouth. "Oh please, girl, you can't tell me you don't do this with Abe Mazur. It's probably the only reason he keeps you around. You're nothing more than a pretty face."

Suddenly, I felt like a little girl again, stuck in the city of Baia, where men unwillingly forced women into uncomfortable situations. And I couldn't do anything about it.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Losing Those Closest to Us**

I sat on the curb, shaking and crying as the disgusting driver chucked my phone at me before driving away. I stared down at the screen and realized Dimitri had been listening to the whole horrifying scene. I placed the phone next to my ear. "...Dimitri?"

"Where are you, Maya? I'll come and kill that guy," I had never heard such an aggressive tone in Dimitri's voice before.

"...No, no, he's gone..."

"Where are you? I'll come, Maya. You can't be out there alone."

"You can't leave, Dimitri, Rose needs you," I blurted out.

"...We're not...she's not..." Dimitri stumbled as he tried to find the right words.

"I don't care. I'm glad you found someone else. It never would have worked out between us anyway," I reasoned, even though I felt empty thinking about Dimitri being with another girl.

"I know, but timing of all of this sucks. I can't...Maya, I can't just stand by after that guy...I can't handle it. Where is Abe? Shouldn't he be protecting you? Why am I not there protecting you?" I could hear the frustration in his voice. Obviously, he was thinking back to our shared hometown of Baia as well, where crimes such as this happened all the time and were left unpunished.

"It's over. There's nothing you can do about it now." These words were trying to comfort both Dimitri and myself because I had the same questions in mind. Did Abe have any inclination that his lackey would harm me like he did? "...Dimitri, can you just tell me what you were going to before, you know..." I knew I would have to hear the bad news sometime and would rather get it over when I had just experienced a new low in my life.

He seemed hesitant to reply. "...I...Maya, I can't...not after you just..."

"Please..." I shocked both myself and Dimitri at how pleading my voice sounded.

"It's your father, Maya," Dimitri replied. "He was killed by Strigoi."

My whole world froze. I became numb to everything that was happening around me. My father. How? He was Arthur Schoenberg, the legendary guardian. He was practically invincible. I didn't realize how badly I was shaking until my phone almost slipped out of my hand.

"Maya...Maya...I'm so sorry..."

Only to make matters worse, it started to rain. I sat out there, allowing the rain to mask the tears running down my face. "I have to go, Dimitri," I managed to say before hanging up the phone. There was a gas station across the street, but after the scary event today, I didn't trust anyone around here, especially in a small, sketchy gas station. I remained sitting on the curb as I called Abe, not knowing who else to talk to.

"Schoenberg, are you already done? That was quick."

"No, I'm not done...but...can you come and get me?"

My voice must have said everything because Abe's usual flirtatious attitude disappeared. "Maya, what happened?"

"...Can you come and get me?" I asked again, avoiding answering his question.

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

He wasn't kidding. I was expecting more than an hour to wait, but he was here in half an hour. The car pulled up by me and he stepped out. "...You know, normally I would be thrilled to see you soaked by all the rain, but it's impossible to be anything but sad because of the expression on your face."

I don't know what possessed me to do this, but I jumped up onto my feet and wrapped my arms around him as I buried my head in his chest. Sobs shook my entire body. Abe wrapped his arms around me and helped me into the backseat of the car. He sat beside me and let me rest my head on his shoulder. "He raped me..." I whispered.

Abe froze. "What?"

"Your lackey. The driver."

He was silent.

"...And apparently my father was killed by Strigoi..."

He slipped his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder. "...I'm sorry, Maya." I could feel his lips and breath against the top of my head. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do about your father, but I will make sure the driver gets the punishment he deserves." There was that protectiveness in his voice again. Except this time there was an intimidating aggressive side to it.

"...Abe, why do I keep losing everyone?" My voice sounded so little as if I were a five year old asking her father the most profound question I could muster.

"...It's the way of life. Unfortunately, some of us lose those closest to us quicker than others," He replied. That's when I realized he wasn't only talking about me but himself as well. He didn't have any close acquaintances except for in business. He had lost Rose when Janine left him to dedicate herself to being a guardian.

The only person he had left was me.

I sat up and looked into his eyes. There it was, that spark. I knew I wasn't the only one feeling it. Ever since the first time I met him, Abe and I had understood each other on a level I had never achieved with anyone else. It was like we had a bond, but in actuality we didn't.

"Maya, I've warned you before, if you keep staring at me like that, I won't have any choice but to pounce on you," Abe told me, his voice husky.

"Maybe I want you to pounce on me," I suggested.

Abe didn't need any more convincing as he pressed his lips against mine.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-Three: The Unwilling Monster**

Whether or not I liked it, I still had to go after Keith. However, what happened to me only made me more attached to this particular mission. I wasn't going to let Keith get away with what he had done. He deserved to be brutally punished. There was only one problem: In case I would happen to cross paths with Keith again, he couldn't recognize me when I gave him the punishment he deserved.

Abe came with me this time. After what happened last time, Abe didn't trust anyone else to help me besides himself. I was relieved to have him at my side as we travelled to Keith's location. However, it would have been nice to go by myself, too. Even after the fact, Abe and I hadn't discussed our kiss or what it meant. It wasn't awkward between the two of us, but it certainly wasn't a walk in the park either. He acted the same as he had before, and I wondered if he wanted to pretend it never happened.

"So what's the plan?" I asked him as we exited the private jet.

"I think I'll leave that up for you to decide," Abe vaguely responded.

I sighed, expecting such an answer. "Well, then I guess we'll see what happens because I have no plan in mind."

"Sometimes the best plan is unpredictable."

I glanced back at him. "I'm sure you've had plenty of experience with that."

He smirked. "Not as much as your love life has."

"Hey, you can't make that joke since you're tangled in the web."

He still smirked. "I think that gives me more reason to make that joke." He stepped down so he was right beside me. I could feel his breath against my lips. "Like I said, the best can be unpredictable," he whispered before kissing me. I froze up, not expecting him to be so bold, but then again, this was Abe Mazur. He would cross any lines to get what he wanted. I eased up and allowed myself to enjoy it, but he broke it off as quickly as he had initiated it. He walked past me and left me watching him, mouth hanging open.

_Is he just messing with me_? I wondered as I followed him down the steps. "Are you trying to make me lose my focus?" I asked.

He turned around and raised one of his eyebrows. "Did I get you all hot and bothered? Aren't you still the girl who's fawning over Dimitri?"

I decided not to tell Abe about how his daughter was actually the one fawning over Dimitri. "Well, not when you're throwing yourself at me."

He watched me for a while, and I slowly became uncomfortable under his scrutinization. Suddenly, he laughed and I sighed in relief. "Schoenberg, trust me, if you stay, I won't be able to stop from throwing myself at you."

"...What does this all mean?" I finally asked. "Are we...?" I couldn't even begin to think about finishing the question. It seemed so foreign to me. Abe Mazur - my boyfriend? Those two things did not belong in the same sentence. Especially since he already had a daughter who was only a little younger than me...and who was apparently with Dimitri. I still couldn't quite believe that either.

Abe stayed silent for a moment, as if he were debating what to say. "...Maya...I..." He paused, struggling to find the right words. "All I want is you...but...I can't do that to you."

I recalled the words Abe had said to me when I had debated my relationship with Ivan: _I can't sit by and watch you end up with someone like me..._ "...Abe, I don't care...you and I both know we can't ignore what's happening between us." I stepped closer and looked up at him.

He glanced down at me and I noticed the admirable expression in his eyes. He placed his hand on the side of my face and brushed my hair back. "You're making this impossible, Schoenberg. The more I'm around you, the more I can't stand the thought of not being with you. I kept thinking this whole fascination with you was just a phase, but I now realize it's a phase I'll never get over..."

I stood there, soaking up the words he had just spoken. "...Abe.." I couldn't even form any comprehensible words to respond. Instead I let my mouth do the talking as I kissed him. Rather than immediately breaking it off, Abe wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer to him.

Suddenly, I sensed something was off. I pulled away from Abe and noticed a Strigoi nearby. "...I've got a plan," I whispered to Abe.

He glanced back and noticed the Strigoi who was eyeing us. "...No offense, Schoenberg, but I already don't like this plan..."

I ignored Abe's complaint and bravely stepped toward the Strigoi. This bold action seemed to scare the Strigoi as he hesitantly stepped toward me. "What do you want?" he hissed.

I actually sighed in relief. This had to be one of the first Strigoi to talk to me instead of blatantly attacking me. "...I need to ask a favor of you," I replied.

The Strigoi stared at me, and his expressions flickered from one to the other. "You're Maya Schoenberg," he finally stated. "...You're Ivan's loved one..."

I hadn't heard Ivan's name in a long time, and painful memories immediately rushed back into me. How did this Strigoi know me? How did he know about me and Ivan? "...Did you know Ivan when he was a Strigoi?" I quietly asked him. This would be sheer luck if I somehow had a connection to this very Strigoi.

"...He was the only one who understood...he was the only other one like me...who hated being a monster..."

I glanced back at Abe, who seemed surprised by this whole situation. However, to his credit, I think he was still shocked that I had kissed him on my own. He made eye contact with me and winked. I couldn't help but roll my eyes before turning my attention back on the saddened Strigoi.

"...But you could change that...you have the magic..." The Strigoi stepped toward me and reached out his arms. I hesitated and Abe protectively came closer to me. "...Spirit..." Suddenly, he grasped my arms and I tried to yank away. Abe stepped between us and tried to help me, but his strength couldn't match that of the Strigoi's. "Heal me!" The Strigoi began screaming wildly over and over again.  
"Fine!" I finally replied, "But only if you do a favor for me."

The Strigoi released me and expectantly stared at me, waiting for my orders.

"Rip out Keith Darnell's eye."


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Adrian - Advice Relationship?**

"Really? Rip out his eye? That's the worst you could come up with?" Abe asked me as we headed back to his private jet.

"Hey, I'm giving Keith a warning. If he pulls that stunt again, then he really will suffer the consequences," I reasoned.

Abe simply sighed and stopped in front of me. "Maya, we're talking about a man who raped a woman. Exactly what that... driver did to you. He deserves more of a punishment than having his eye ripped out by a Strigoi."

"...I'm not that kind of person..." I finally responded. "You know that. I froze up when Ivan wanted me to kill him. I couldn't do it. I didn't tell Dimitri anything because I was afraid of getting him into danger where he could be hurt..."

"But you're talking about the people you love, Maya. This is Keith Darnell. He's a disgusting man who takes advantage of women. There's a big difference."

I remained silent for a moment, knowing he was right. The man did deserve a bigger punishment. "Maybe that's why you're in this business and I'm not."

I couldn't distinguish the expression in Abe's eyes as he sighed. "I'm not upset with you, Maya. I guess it's just...I haven't been around many people like you in a long time..."

It took a while before Abe's words sunk in. I stepped closer to him and placed my hands on his chest. He instinctively wrapped his arms around me and buried his head in my hair. I leaned my head into his chest, surprised at the simple vulnerability Abe was showing as I listen to his steady heart beat quicken. "Maya, why do you do this to me?" He whispered.

"Because I know there's more to you than what everyone else thinks. Because deep down inside I know you're a great man with a gentle soul only shown in all the right moments..." I surprised not only Abe, but also myself with the words I had just spoken.

"...Jesus, Schoenberg, I didn't ask for some massively profound answer," he joked as he broke away from me. However, his hands still lingered on my arms and I shivered at his touch. He began to lean in and I wondered if he was going to kiss me again, but his phone suddenly rang.

His ringtone was like a bucket of cold water which brought us both back to reality. It was as if all the sudden I realized I had kissed Abe three times today. I had kissed the serpent, the zmey. "Jesus Christ..." I muttered as I took a seat in the private jet as Abe answered his phone. I slumped down and buried my face into my hands, wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into. This was Abe Mazur. He was quite a bit different compared to my last two boyfriends.

I sighed as I thought of Dimitri. I wanted so badly to call him and to see him, but it would be selfish and ruin his and Rose's relationship. I couldn't possibly rip him away from anything else. I had caused him enough pain. Instead, I called someone who was probably the worst option for relationship advice.

"Maya, have you changed your mind? You could always share my room with me."

I immediately regretted my decision, but it would be rude to hang up now. "Adrian, the last thing I want to do is share a bed with you."

"That didn't stop you before."

I seriously considered hanging up, but I glanced over at Abe who was outside still talking on his phone. "...Seriously, Adrian, I need to talk to you about something."

"I thought you would know better than to put serious and Adrian in the same sentence," he joked.

"I'm about to hang up."

I could hear him sigh. "Alright. I'm listening..."

"...I kissed Abe Mazur."

he suddenly coughed, I suppose out of surprise. "Jesus, couldn't you have given me a warning before I chugged vodka?" He finally responded once he stopped choking.

I sighed, hating the fact that vodka sounded really good right now. "I didn't realize you were indulging in alcoholic beverages. However, now I realize that was a stupid assumption to make considering you're Adrian Ivashkov."

"You know me so well," he dryly responded. "I can't say the same for you. I mean, really? Abe Mazur? You can do better than that...say, like, perhaps Dimitri."

"I cannot believe you're still on that," I replied.

"But you and Dimitri are so cute together," Adrian insisted.

"Ivashkov, you can't faze me. I know your ulterior motive. I'm not going to be a pawn in your quest for Rose."

I could practically see Adrian shrug. "I think you and I both realize you wouldn't be a pawn. You know you can't avoid reuniting with Dimitri at some point. It's only a matter of time before you two cross paths again and fall madly in love with each other."

I rolled my eyes. "I think you're dreaming a little big there. Dimitri would be a smart man not to get involved with me again." The truth of my words surprised and hurt me.

"...Maya, any man who doesn't want to be involved with you is a blind man. I don't think it matters what you did to Dimitri. Somewhere deep inside he is probably thinking of you right now. If you were to miraculously show up, you can't deny that he wouldn't at least try to win you back. I mean, you're the girl he's known since he was...I don't know, five? Trust me, from a male's perspective, it's hard to get over a girl who made an such an impression from early on."

I sat there in silence, surprised by just how much Adrian had said. The weirdest part of it all was that he was right. If I still thought about Dimitri as much as I did, I was sure Dimitri thought of me as well. "...I can't believe I'm actually taking relationship advice from you," I finally said.

Adrian laughed. "Sometimes I actually know what I'm talking about."

Just then, Abe entered the jet. "I have to go," I told Adrian.

"Good luck, Schoenberg," he replied before he hung up.

I shoved the phone back in my pocket and glanced up at Abe. The expression on his face did not seem like a happy one, and I was nervous to find out what his phone call was about. That was the thing about being with Abe - I could never quite expect what would happen next.

"We have to go to Court," he announced.


	35. Chapter 35

**You know, I'm in my fifth semester of taking Russian and I realized I could actually use that knowledge in my story considering Maya is actually Russian. So I threw in чуть-чуть (just a little) Russian flair in this chapter! Enjoy! :)**

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Pavel**

The last time I had seen Queen Tatiana was after Ivan's death, and standing outside the doors to her room reminded me of the confusing conversation I had with Dimitri in this very spot. However, now Abe stood by me instead and I was now faced with more confusion than ever. I had to let it all take a backseat in my mind. Instead, I was faced with confusion about other subject matters than my love life: for what reason were we sent to Court?

I shifted my weight from one leg to the other. A nervous habit, I suppose. I mean, technically I was a rogue guardian. I wasn't assigned to anyone and Queen Tatiana could simply drag me off and put me wherever she wanted. She could even have me arrested for abandoning my guardianship job at St. Vladimir's. However, there was an unspoken understanding that my abrupt resignation was due to Victor Dashkov. No one necessarily understood how I was connected to Victor Dashkov, but the timeline of events proved my absence. Now, many guardians and Moroi alike considered the only daughter of the legendary Arthur Schoenberg to be a gamble. Yes, I was strong and intelligent, but I was highly unreliable. Ivan Zeklos died under my watch, I left St. Vladimir's after only a month, and now I was traveling and working with Abe Mazur.

I kept my face stoic as the doors opened. I couldn't let the queen see the fear in my face or in my eyes. I needed to look the part - the independent, strong, and unpredictable Maya Schoenberg. Like Abe had said before, coward wasn't a word in my vocabulary. However, my neutral facial expression wavered when I glanced up at Queen Tatiana. Her expression was the definition of disgust as she looked at me. "...Maya Schoenberg," she finally said as if she could barely handle letting my name grace her tongue.

Her disgust almost made me laugh. "Hi," I informally replied. "I haven't seen you in awhile." I quickly glanced over at Abe and could see him smirking. I could imagine what thought was running through his head: Two can play at this game...

"You look lovely today, Tatiana. You should wear that delightful shade of aubergine more often," Abe commented.

Queen Tatiana actually seemed flattered by Abe's compliment, almost flustered. "...Thank you," she responded. However, she quickly shook off her unexpected shock and went straight to business. "As you two probably know, Victor Dashkov is under confinement right now after his little stunt with Valissa Dragomir."

I already didn't like where this was heading, but I nodded. Even though making scenes in public places seemed like my specialty, I couldn't let myself freak out quite yet. I had to let her finish, and not assume it was going to be bad news just because she mentioned Victor Dashkov.

"He'll be going on trial soon and there have been many requests for you, Maya, to share your story about him."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "...I don't really have any story."

Abe stiffened, knowing it was a lie.

I immediately tried to recover, recognizing the questionable expression in the queen's eyes. "I mean...I kind of have some evidence...but it wouldn't be much and...and I'm not sure if I'm comfortable sharing it." This was about as close to the truth Tatiana was going to get.

She scrutinized me for a couple moments before sighing and sinking back into her seat. "It's understandable, Maya. It's the very reason we aren't having Valissa testify either."

"...Um, even if I'm not testifying, would it be alright if I showed up to the trial?" I wanted to see justice served, even if I wouldn't necessarily be a part of it.

She thought for a moment before giving me an answer. "...Under one condition."

I smirked, assuming the worst - perhaps a custodial job at Court? Or maybe I really would be put in confinement. "Alright, give it to me."

"You'll officially be Abe's guardian."

I laughed. "Really? That's it? I mean, I practically am his guardian already, Your Majesty."

"You won't be alone this time," she added as she gestured over to the mysterious man in the corner of the room, who I immediately recognized as a fellow Russian. "This is Pavel, and he will also be your guardian, Abe."

"Tatiana, how did you know? I've always wanted two attractive, Russian guardians. I mean, I would prefer if both were female, but Maya is breath-taking enough it evens out." I rolled my eyes at that comment, even though I knew he wasn't joking. Abe stepped toward Pavel and outstretched his hand to shake Pavel's. "Welcome to the crew, Pavel."

I did the same, except for the fact that we introduced ourselves to each other in Russian. "Меня зовут Мая." (For those of you who don't come across the cyrillic alphabet on a daily basis, it would be pronounced like 'Men-ya za-boot Maya'). Literally translated, it meant 'they call me Maya', but most people would translate it to the casual 'my name is Maya.'

"Меня зовут Павел," he replied, shaking my hand in a businesslike manner. His professionalism reminded me of Dimitri. "Очень приятно." (O-chen pri-yat-na: nice to meet you).

"Очень приятно."

"Well, now that all the formalities are done, Maya will stay at Court until the trial while Abe and Pavel do...well, whatever it is you do, Abe," Queen Tatiana ordered. "You all may leave, except Maya. I need one last word with you."

I hated hearing those words and watching as Abe left with Pavel, but I had no choice but to stay and endure whatever else Queen Tatiana had in store for me. Abe gave me one last lingering glance before closing the door behind him, leaving just the queen and me. So far, she hadn't thrown me any major curveballs, but I could just imagine what sort of trouble I could get into the longer I stay at Court. "...I'm not in trouble, am I, Your Majesty?" I asked.

"No," she answered without hesitation, making me relieved. "...But I need one last favor, and I had a feeling Abe wouldn't approve."

My relief was short-lived. "That's not a great way to introduce this favor of yours."

She laughed. "Don't worry, I think you'll actually enjoy this. I mean, here you are, this magnificently intelligent and beautiful girl" - the flattery made me immediately question where this was leading - "and yet you're still not being used to the best of your abilities. Whatever happened to you and Adrian? You two seemed to get along so well."

_A little too well_, I thought, recalling the one night stand I had with him. Of course, I figured it would be best for his great-aunt not to know that little detail. "Um, are you trying to get involved in my love life, Your Majesty?"

She gave a sly grin, as if she had better plans for her great-nephew's love life. "Not necessarily, but you are the daughter of Arthur Schoenberg. You deserve to guard someone better than Abe Mazur. That's why if you and Adrian become friends, you could be his guardian instead."

"...I'll have to think about it, Your Majesty." That was the most honest answer I could give for the time being.

"Of course. Well, you'll have a while to think about it. Adrian should be here during the trials. You can do as you wish until then." I figured that was the end of our conversation and I got up to leave. However, there was one other thing that was bugging me. "Your Majesty?"

"Yes?"

I paused before asking my next question. "Will Dimitri Belikov be testifying at the trial?"

She studied me, obviously knowing my connection with him. "...Yes, yes, he will be testifying."


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Temptation**

I had no clue how to preoccupy myself now that I was stuck at Court for more than a month. I spent every morning running and soon became acquainted with those who I ran past on a daily basis. I felt like some character on a kids' show who would greet everyone as I ran by. Of course, this caused quite the scene - why was Maya Schoenberg here? Why was she so friendly and happy when she had just been assigned to Abe Mazur? I simply laughed off the rumors I heard. Moroi politics could sometimes be so petty.

However, there was one thing I couldn't laugh off. I knew Mikhail Tanner was somewhere at Court and the least I could do was visit him, especially since I was the reason he was here. For the first few weeks, I avoided the situation altogether, but I knew I couldn't keep away any longer. There was only one guy I could go to in order to find Mikhail: Hans Croft.

Hans Croft was the head guardian here at Court, and, fortunately, a close friend of my father's. I hadn't seen him since I was a child, and I wasn't sure if he was going to recognize me or not. Either way, I needed to see Mikhail.

Luckily, Hans remembered me and hugged me when he saw me. "Maya, you've grown up so much," he told me.

"Well, I would hope so, considering I was barely three feet tall the last time I saw you," I replied.

He smiled and let go of me, but I could sense a sadness in his aura. "...I'm really sorry about your father..."

I became somber, knowing he could understand the same emptiness I felt. "...It was just so unexpected...I mean, he's Arthur Schoenberg, he should be able to take down any amount of Strigoi...but..I guess he's not as invincible as everyone made him out to be...and I just...I just wish I could've had one last conversation with him..."

He nodded. "Me too..." He hesitated before saying anything else, "And I know he wouldn't approve of me making you Abe's guardian, but I couldn't let you continue to be some unpromised guardian..."

Right, I had forgotten Hans was in charge of assigning guardianships. "You did the right thing. Plus, you have to know the queen has an ulterior motive to make me Adrian Ivashkov's guardian anyway."

He perked up. "What?"

Dammit, me and my big mouth always gave away too much. "Do you happen to know where Mikhail Tanner is?" I asked, completely avoiding the subject I had introduced.

He smirked. "I'll let you by this one time, but next time you slip up, you'll have to follow through. Mikhail is in the..." He paused as he looked past me. "Well, today's your lucky day because he's right there."

I turned around and, sure enough, Mikhail was walking past. I quickly thanked Hans and caught up to Mikhail. "You're not going to church again, are you?" I asked.

Mikhail glanced over at me. "Weren't you suppose to be working at Court, say, two years ago? You're a little late."

"Were you missing my company? I hurried as fast as I could," I teased.

He simply rolled his eyes, which signified he didn't miss my company. "Maya, no offense, you're the last person I want here."

"Actually, I'm kind of offended. There are plenty of worse people."

He stopped and stared at me. "You're the reason I'm here in the first place and everytime I see you, I'm reminded of Sonya. Those two things alone make it impossible to be around you."

"Not necessarily. You're around me right now."

He glared at me for a couple seconds before moving on. I had to quicken my pace to keep up with him. "Listen, I didn't purposely try to get you caught and sent here. I'm sorry about what happened, but there's nothing I can do about it now."

"Just stop, okay? ...I realize that...and maybe it was for the best I ended up here. What you said to me before...about freezing up the moment I saw her...you're probably right. Maybe it's just time I moved on, but it's hard."

I watched him, completely understanding what he was saying. It had been two years and I still hadn't gotten over Dimitri. It was the very reason I couldn't fathom being with Abe, no matter what advances he made. "Mikhail, maybe you're not suppose to get over her until you know her fate...and I shouldn't have stopped you from hunting her down."

He remained silent as he continued his fast pace to his destination. "Mikhail, please-" I reached for his arm, but he shook it out of my grip.

"Maya, don't throw yourself on me like this."

I stepped back. "...Throw myself? I'm just trying to apologize, okay? ...I guess you don't have to accept it, but it would be nice if you did."

Mikhail sighed. "Do you realize the effect you have on men?"

I temporarily stalled, surprised by what he just said. "...Excuse me?"

"...Maya, do you realize that a beautiful girl like you can make men fall to their knees with a simple blink of an eye? I can't have that sort of temptation around when Sonya could still be out there..."

I blinked a couple of times. Temptation? The thought of Mikhail thinking of me in that way made me blush. "...I...I didn't mean to..." What was I trying to say? It wasn't my fault that I was 'beautiful'. "...I'll just get out of your way." Flustered, I walked past Mikhail.

I really hoped the rest of my time at Court wouldn't be like what I had just experienced.


	37. Chapter 37

**I'm sorry it's been so long - I was just finishing up my last weeks of school and now I'm officially done! Woo! I should be updating more often now :)**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Ghosts!**

I woke up with only one thing on my mind.

_Spokane, Washington._

Confused by this sudden obsessive thought, I continued on with my usual morning routine as I changed into my workout clothes. I hoped my morning run would help clear up my mind. Every once in awhile, I would have strange dreams and wake up with these random thoughts. It didn't happen very often, but when it did, it always related to something else that had happened. I only wondered what in the world was going on in Spokane, Washington to invade my dreams like it had. Unfortunately, I couldn't recall any details of my dream and I decided it wasn't worth fretting over.

The crisp, fresh air helped me to wake up. However, no matter how much I pushed myself, I couldn't get Spokane, Washington out of my mind. Who would be in Spokane, Washington? Was the ski resort where Dimitri and Adrian were staying located there? Did something happen to them?

All the sudden, I looked up and noticed a red-haired male standing right in front of me. I couldn't slow myself down enough and I braced myself for the impact, but I never collided with him. Instead, I ran straight through him. I may or may not have muttered some highly inappropriate Russian swear words out of frustration. The last thing I needed was to run into a ghost. I simply couldn't catch a break.

Upon closer inspection, I recognized the face of the red-haired ghost. "You were in my dream..." I muttered. I racked my brain, trying to remember anything about the dream I had. "...Obviously you died...by a Strigoi...and...and Rose was there too...she was trying to protect you..."

His face immediately fell when I mentioned Rose's name. Suddenly, my dream came back to me full force. "Holy shit," I muttered as I practically fell over. "...Is everyone okay?" I asked, realizing it was a stupid question. "...Well, except you. I mean, Dimitri was there toward the end so he wasn't involved in much of the action...but..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say to this boy who had just suffered through a horrific death. "...Does anyone at Court know about this?"

He shook his head.

"Is that why you're here?"

He shook his head.

I sighed, feeling like I was coming to a dead end as I began to run again. I wasn't going to stay here any longer if it was getting me nowhere. "Why did you come to me?" I asked, assuming he was following me.

I didn't receive an answer because he disappeared as soon as he had appeared. Frustrated, I decided I would finish my run, hoping that it really would clear my mind.

"Maya!"

I groaned, stopping again. "What?" I snapped as I turned around. It was Mikhail.

He stepped back as if he were afraid I was going to lash out, which, honestly, was a fair assumption. "...You were just outside the ward. I just wanted to make sure you didn't..." He paused, staring at me. "I'm sorry about the other day..."

"Outside the ward?" I murmured, completely oblivious to his apology. I glanced up at him. "Come with me," I commanded as I grabbed his hand and led him out of the ward. Sure enough, the ghost boy was there, waiting. "Do you see him?" I asked Mikhail.

"Where?"

I sighed. Of course I would be the only one to see him. "Never mind," I replied. "I'm just crazy."

"Maya, you're not crazy. You're gifted with these powers that..." He stopped and I immediately knew he was thinking of Sonya.

I glanced over at the ghost boy who was gesturing to leave with Mikhail. Whatever he wanted would have to wait for later. I guided Mikhail back into the ward. "...I'll help you get out of here," I told him. "You need to find her."

He shook his head. "No...because you're right. I'll freeze up when I see her. I mean, I already am affected just by being around you..."

"But it's like your life stalled the moment she left." My words seemed to bother him, and I hesitated to say or do anything else. "Come with me to Victor's trial," I finally whispered. "I know you want to see him get what he deserves as much as I do."

His eyes made contact with mine and it was as if we could both see the night when Victor assaulted me flashing before us. "...Alright," he agreed. "You know Dimitri will be testifying, right?" It surprised me how many people knew about my relationship with Dimitri.

"I know...and honestly, I'll deal with it when the time comes. I'm sick of having to think about it any longer," I admitted not only to Mikhail, but to myself. There was a part of me that was excited to see Dimitri again, but I was also terrified. He was now sort of involved with Rose, and I was now sort of involved with Abe. I didn't know if our romance would rekindle if we were to run into each other again. Also, I couldn't ignore the queen's wishes for me to 'become friends with Adrian'.

"Well...I'll let you get on with your run..." Mikhail awkwardly concluded our conversation.

I started to turn around, but stopped myself. "Mikhail..."

He glanced my way, watching me expectantly.

"I'm glad you're my friend." I meant it. He was the only one who truly could understand what I'd been through.

Mikhail smirked. "Not as glad as I am."


	38. Chapter 38

**A shout-out goes to bboop12! I swear you have left a review for almost every chapter and that makes you super freakin' awesome!**

**jeka564 - I'M TRYING TO ADD MORE AS FAST AS I CAN! :) I'M GLAD YOU'RE LIKING MY STORY! I HEARD ABOUT THE MOVIES AND I'M BOTH EXCITED AND TERRIFIED AT THE SAME TIME. I HOPE THEY GET IT RIGHT!**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Surprising Welcome**

Tomorrow was the official date of the trial.

In an attempt to squelch my nervous energy, I decided I would run longer than usual in the morning. However, about five minutes or so into my run, rain started to pour down. Sighing in frustration, I quickly found cover near the building where the planes landed with those who were going to Victor's trial.

Mikhail saw me and smirked as he walked up toward me. "Why doesn't it surprise me that you would try to run in this weather?" He teased me. The awkwardness that was originally between us had disappeared completely as the weeks had passed by at Court. Now, I actually considered him to be a close friend.

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you were waiting here for me? I swear you're becoming my stalker," I joked back.

His smirk only grew bigger. "Why doesn't it surprise me you're waiting here for Dimitri?"

I glared at him. "Hey now. I think you're forgetting who you're aggravating."

"You mean the girl who I saved from Victor Dashkov?"

I playfully punched his arm, but our conversation stopped when a plane landed nearby. I stared at it, wondering if the man who I hadn't seen for so long was in there. I started to shiver as my wet clothes clung to my body. Mikhail was about to give me his jacket when Hans grabbed me and pulled me away, handing me one of the official guardian blazers.

"What's this for?" I asked, even though I threw it on before hearing an answer.

"You're going to help me greet them."

I stepped back, but Hans's grip kept me moving forward. "I don't think that's a good idea."

He didn't respond as he kept dragging me toward the plane. Sure enough, I immediately recognized Dimitri's tall frame walk off the plane, along with Adrian, Rose and Lissa. I stared at Rose, with her glossy hair and immaculate curves. "Dammit," I muttered. She really was prettier in person than she was in the pictures I had seen.

"That's no way to greet people," Hans muttered back, not realizing my profanity was due to jealousy.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. I suppose I would have to do it at some point in time, but I guess I'd rather do it now and get it over with. I was rather bold and walked until I was right beside Dimitri. "Long time no see," I casually told him.

He glanced down at me and I smirked when he didn't completely realize it was me. However, within a couple seconds he glanced down again. His eyes met mine and I silently cursed myself when my heart rate increased. "What are you doing here?" He whispered.

I shrugged. "Same thing you are. I'm here to see justice served. Although, I hate to tell you, it won't be in the same fashion as those westerns you so dearly love."

He gave me a small smirk, but it was obvious he didn't want to show everyone - especially Rose - how close we actually were. I glanced back behind me and Alberta nodded at me, smiling. Adrian didn't necessarily give me any recognition except a mischievous glint in his eye when he saw me walking with Dimitri. Rose and Lissa didn't even blink an eye at my presence. I was surprised because part of me thought Lissa might have sensed spirit in me; however, she was understandably more worried about Victor Dashkov getting freed.

After Alberta relayed the schedule for the night to the students and Dimitri convinced one of the students to relax and not worry about his guardian assignment while he was at Court, Dimitri came up to me. I couldn't quite distinguish the expression he gave me as he studied me. It seemed like he really couldn't believe I was here. "...Are you doing anything for the next, say, four hours?"

I smirked. "Depends on what you have planned."

"I have a feeling it's better not to plan when it comes to you," he responded.

I laughed. "You know me well, Dimka."

Just then, Adrian pushed between us. "You two lovebirds have fun now," he said as he tapped my cheeks like I was a child. However, I could see the urgency in his eyes. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Don't fuck this up, Schoenberg. I don't know if I can handle Rose and the Russian any longer."

I raised my eyebrow. "Do you have no trust in me and my womanly charms?" I whispered in reply.

Adrian pulled away from me and looked me up and down. "No, I trust you," he responded with a wink as he walked away. "Well, like I said, you two have fun now. Don't stay up too late."

"What are you? Our mom?" I yelled after him.

Dimitri stared after Adrian and I was confused by the fascinated expression in his eyes. "You got a crush on Adrian or something? Because I don't want this to be awkward if you'd rather be with him," I joked.

Dimitri turned toward me. "Doesn't he remind you of Ivan?"

The question caught me off guard. "...Well, if you want me to be completely honest, that's the reason why he and I...you know..that one night. I had just lost Ivan and all the sudden here comes some guy that reminds me of him and..." I didn't finish, mainly because there was no need to.

Dimitri looked around. "I think if we're going to be this deep in our conversation we need a more private place."

A more private place? My mind told me I shouldn't take this any farther, but my heart told me I would regret declining his offer.

"Alright," I finally replied.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Dimitri I Remembered**

Dimitri and I were in his room. I was sitting on the floor and surrounded by his western books. He sat down beside me as I picked up a DVD which looked out of place among the many books. His shoulder brushed against me as he shifted to get a better view of what I was holding.

"It's been so long since I've seen this movie," I told him. "...It was my father's favorite." Dimitri was like my father in the aspect that they both loved western movies. _White Sun of the Desert_ was the Soviet equivalent of a western (or, as they would call it over there, an eastern) movie and I grew up watching it with both Dimitri and my father. Holding it in my hands felt like I was holding a piece of my father. "...Did you get to see him before...he...?" _Died_. I couldn't bring myself to say that word.

"...No, no, I got there too late...I'm so sorry, Maya..." I didn't have to see his face to know what he was feeling. His voice resonated his guilt and sadness.

Without thinking, I placed my hand on his. "It doesn't matter. We can't change the past, we have to just keep moving forward."

I could see Dimitri look down at our hands, but he didn't move his away from mine. "...Speaking of moving forward...I'm assuming you're not staying at Court after the trial..."

"No...Abe will be coming right after the trial to get me. I'm officially his guardian, but the queen seems to have different plans for me. She wants me to be Adrian's guardian."

"Really?" I could see the wheels start spinning in his head.

I groaned. "I shouldn't have mentioned it. I can't be his guardian. How am I suppose to face everyone at St. Vladimir's again?"

"More importantly, how are you suppose to handle Adrian all day, everyday? I mean, that has to be awkward after a one night stand." He joked.

My hand left his as I elbowed him. "Oh, and yet here you are hanging out with your ex when you're kind of involved with a girl who isn't even 18 yet."

He shrugged. "What can I say? I'm starting to take after you and your complicated love life. And you didn't even hear about Tasha yet."

I sat up. "Tasha? Oh no, Dimitri, you didn't."

He raised an eyebrow. "...You really don't like her, do you?"

"To be fair, I would like her if she wasn't interested in you."

Dimitri laughed and the sound made me feel like I was back in Russia, like I hadn't messed everything up. I felt like I was 18 again and was just hanging out with Dimitri as friends. "I didn't realize you were so protective of me." He almost seemed excited about this realization.

"Don't let your ego get too big when I tell you this, but any girl would be crazy not to be protective of you."

"I could say the same to you, except, you know, with guys."

I smirked. "It's because we're Russian. They're afraid we'll start a mafia here if they don't protect us."

Dimitri smiled, but it faltered as he stared at me. "...Maya...why did you ever leave St. Vladimir's? I miss you so much."

"I miss you too..." I whispered back, my voice wavering. "...But I couldn't stay there. When Ivan died he somehow gave me his spirit abilities...and Victor Dashkov was after me because of it. I wasn't safe there..."

"But he's not there anymore...and you could be Adrian's guardian..."

"I can't, Dimitri, I can't. I don't belong there anymore." I pictured Abe's face, and I knew that's where I needed to be after the trial. _I belong with Abe.._.the thought of it seemed absolutely ridiculous, but at the same time that's who I had spent the past two years with.

"I hate this," Dimitri muttered, leaning back.

I laid back beside him. "It's better this way."

Dimitri was awkwardly silent. "...Why do you always do this to me?" He finally said, his pain almost seething out of him. "...Why do you always have to leave?"

I glanced over at him, unsure of how to respond.

Both fortunately and unfortunately, I didn't have to respond because Dimitri kept ranting. "It's like you run away any time you face any difficulties. You can't accept making any mistakes or being weak."

I couldn't take it anymore. "Because I already messed everything up! I couldn't protect Ivan and I couldn't save my dad. I broke your heart and left because you deserved someone better than me!" The words flew out of my mouth and I instantly backed away from Dimitri, ashamed.

"Maya...Maya, wait..." Dimitri quickly caught up with me, eliminating the space between us. "Don't ever say that again," he whispered, grabbing my arms. "Maya, if you ever think you aren't good enough, I will personally come and shake some sense into you. You are one of the most amazing people I know."

I looked up into his dark, understanding eyes. This was the Dimitri I remembered, the one who would always lift me up when I was down. He was my rock who always brought me back to reality. Before I knew it, we were kissing. Everything about being with him felt so right, but my mind was protesting against my actions.

Then, someone knocked on the door.


	40. Chapter 40

**eDiNbUrgh - wow! thanks for taking all that time to read my story and to write such an in-depth review! I totally get what you're saying - I subconsciously know I'm rushing through it and I can blame it for two reasons: 1) I think of ideas for later on and I'm excited to move forward because of that and 2) there's part of me that feels like Maya isn't suppose to get a break and just relax, I kind of want this story to be chaotic because that's how her life is - but you're right, she probably should have reacted more to her father's death - don't worry, I have a big emotional moment planned for later on when Dimitri...you know... As for Abe, I'm still a little on the fence about him - I wouldn't quite say they're together yet because I have some twists and turns that will bring bring them apart. And Mason will be coming back for one or two more scenes! I hope that helps explain some things! Once again, thank you for your review - I'm always trying to look for ways to improve. Oh, and you're thought about adding in another original character for Maya to end up with is intriguing ;)**

**Kansas - I'm sorry I made you feel that way about Dimitri :( I think one thing to remember is that the last time Maya and Dimitri were privately together was when they were at St. Vlad's and were about to get it on before the Strigoi appeared and attacked. The kiss in a sense had nothing to do with Rose, but rather the awkward sexual tension that still existed. And, as you'll see in this chapter, they both knew what they did was wrong.**

**Chapter Forty: A Favor for a Friend**

I don't know how many Russian swear words were muttered after we heard the knock, but it was a lot. The knock brought us back to reality; it reminded us that what we did was completely and utterly wrong. Dimitri helped me to quickly exit out of his window. We had no words to say to each other. That kiss just proved to us that we couldn't be around each other. I felt horrible as I walked to my room. I messed everything up again.

"Yo, Schoenberg!"

I sighed, turning around. The last thing I needed were the smartass remarks from Adrian. "I'm really not in the mood right now, Adrian."

He smirked. "So things happened between you and Dimitri?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

His smirk only grew bigger. "I always knew you two would be together."

"...Adrian, seriously, I'm going to punch you in the face if you keep this up."

"I highly doubt you would ruin a face like mine. You understand beauty when you see it."

Unfortunately, I couldn't follow through with my words because my phone rang. Both Adrian and I saw it was Dimitri calling. I gave Adrian a scrutinizing stare before picking up. I immediately decided to speak Russian, that way Adrian couldn't eavesdrop.

"Calling me so soon?" I wittily asked, trying to cover up the awkwardness.

"I need to get in contact with Victor Dashkov. He sent Rose a letter that says he's going to expose my relationship with Rose. If anyone can find a way to get to Victor Dashkov, it's you."

My heart sank when he mentioned Rose. She must have been the one knocking on the door while I was the whore making out with her sort-of boyfriend. Finding a way to get in contact with Victor Dashkov was the least I could do to make up for my mistake. "I'll call you back," I replied. I hung up the phone and Adrian was still smirking at me.

"You guys even speak your own special language," he joked.

"We try, but we're not as good as you and your compulsion," I replied. I had an idea of how to get to Victor, but I would need Adrian to help me. I was okay at compulsion, but I had a feeling Adrian was really good.

Adrian raised his eyebrow. "Are you trying to make a proposition?"

"Just come with me." I grabbed Adrian's hand and dragged him along side me. I switched directions, heading toward the guardian's headquarters. If I was going to get to Victor, I needed the help of the head guardian.

"Oh, how lovely it is to see you two together!"

I inwardly sighed. The last thing I needed was Adrian's favorite great-aunt to intrude. Adrian seemed mildly amused by his great-aunt's enthusiasm about me. "We're kind of busy right now, Your Majesty," I told her, not realizing how scandalous that sounded, especially since I was hurriedly dragging him to some unknown place.

Seeing the suspicion on Tatiana's face, Adrian played along. "I hope you understand. I don't get to see Maya very often, but when I do..." His voice trailed off as he gave me a suggestive glance. I couldn't help but smile in return, as if we were sharing some dirty secret.

Tatiana's face looked horrified as we continued on our way. Adrian laughed. "If people weren't gossiping about you before, they sure will be now."

I laughed, too. "I guess I'm the Court slut." Between Dimitri and Adrian I was surely making a reputation for myself. Something about being with Adrian was so easy. He did remind me of Ivan, but he was also part of the reason I couldn't go back to St. Vladimir's and be his guardian. Our relationship would be based off the fact that Adrian was lusting after Rose while I was still confused about my relationship with Dimitri.

My mind came back to focus on the present as both Adrian and I stepped foot into the guardian's headquarters. "Where's Hans?" I asked the people who were standing around the front desk. They all stared at me and Adrian in shock. Apparently people didn't just barge in here and demand things like I had. Plus, the fact that I was Arthur Schoenberg's daughter and I was still holding Adrian's hand didn't help.

"He just left," Mikhail said as he emerged from a hallway. "I'm surprised you didn't run into him."

My original plan shifted once I saw Mikhail. I let go of Adrian and stepped toward him. "Do you think you could get Dimitri and Rose to Victor Dashkov?" I whispered.

Adrian glanced over at me after he heard what I said. I couldn't tell what expression he was wearing, but he seemed confused.

Mikhail's eyes flickered between me and Adrian, but finally settled on me. "I can do it."


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty-One: Business with Victor**

"You know, I don't understand why you're doing this. It's not like you're making a move on just Dimitri, you're helping both Rose and Dimitri," Adrian told me as we followed Mikhail.

"It's called being a friend, Adrian. Plus, I may need to do this to make it up to Dimitri."

Mikhail glanced back at both me and Adrian. He didn't know that Adrian and I were friends and I could see he was clearly fascinated by the dynamic we presented.

"Make it up to Dimitri? So I was right - this is some move you're making on him," Adrian replied.

I took out my phone to dial Dimitri's number. "If I tell you you were right, will you be quiet while I'm on the phone?" I asked him.

Adrian smirked. "You know it will take more than that."

"That's what I was afraid of."

"...Tell me what you did wrong that you have to make it up to Dimitri."

I almost stopped in my tracks. I was about to protest, but realized it really wasn't a big deal if Adrian knew what happened between Dimitri and I. In fact, he would probably praise the ground I walked upon because I confused the Russian who was so perfect in Rose's mind. "We kind of made out in his room."

Just then, Dimitri picked up his phone. "Meet us outside the Court prison," I told him in Russian.

"Maya, wait. Are you sure you're okay to see Victor again?"

Dimitri's concern surprised me. "It doesn't matter, Dimka. This is for you and Rose, remember?"

He was quiet for a little bit before speaking. "...Thank you...we'll see you soon."

"He's on his way," I announced to Mikhail as soon as I shut my phone. I turned toward Adrian. "And I think it's time you need to leave. I don't want you to get in trouble for helping people get to Victor Dashkov."

Adrian stared at me in defiance. "You really think I'm going to leave after you told me you and Dimitri made out? I mean, that must have been an awkward phone call."

"Adrian, leave." The harshness of Mikhail's voice shocked me.

Adrian stepped back from me. "Alright. ...See you at the trial, Schoenberg." I watched as he left, wondering what it would be like to be his guardian. I still felt pretty sure I was going to stay as Abe's guardian, but I couldn't help but think of how life could be if I were Adrian's.

"Sorry about that. I just couldn't stand the fact that he was teasing you so much about Dimitri," Mikhail explained. "He's obviously never been truly in love before."

"...You think Dimitri and I were truly in love?" My voice came out small and weak.

"I think you still are." I could see the sympathy in Mikhail's eyes. "...It must be hard to watch someone you love be with someone else."

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore. I was the one who left. I should have expected he would move on."

"...Sometimes I wonder if I should move on," Mikhail told me. I glanced over at him, realizing this confession wasn't one that just anyone would hear. It was weird to think that just a couple weeks ago he detested me for sending him to Court, but now we were close friends.

"Do you still believe Sonya could come back?"

"...I'm not sure what I believe in anymore..."

His answer broke my heart. "Well, I believe. I believe that she's out there, trying to find a way to stop being a Strigoi just so she can come back to you. Did you know that Ivan hated being a Strigoi? ...He wanted me to kill him and end his misery... I'm sure Sonya feels the same way, except someone out there knows the secret to reviving Strigoi back to their former self. That person is trying to find Sonya as fast as possible...just so she can back to you."

Mikhail stared at me. "...Maya...if things were different...I think you and I could..." He stopped talking once he saw Dimitri and Rose coming closer. I wanted to know how he would have finished that sentence, but right now the meeting with Victor was more important.

Mikhail opened the door and I snuck in to find Victor's cell. Fortunately due to his trial being the next day, he was in one of the first cells. "Maya Schoenberg, what a lovely surprise. I didn't think you were one to settle down at Court."

"I'm not. I'm just here to see you get your ass handed to you tomorrow," I remarked.

Victor laughed. "I can see why Abe keeps you around."

I remained silent, hearing Mikhail, Dimitri, and Rose coming down his stairs. I backed away from Victor's cell and leaned against the back wall. Mikhail joined me at my side and I watched as Dimitri and Rose walked up to Victor together. It was odd to see the two of them together.

I spaced out during their conversation, mainly because I didn't want to hear any of it. I knew it had to do with Dimitri and Rose's relationship. At one point in the conversation, Mikhail surprised me and grabbed my hand. I glanced over at him and he squeezed my hand. "It'll be over soon," he whispered to me. I gave him a reassuring smile, but soon wasn't soon enough.

I noticed Dimitri look back at me and Mikhail, and I blushed when he noticed our interlaced hands. A part of me hoped he thought Mikhail and I were just friends, but another part of me wished he was jealous of me and Mikhail.

"Um, Maya, you might want to loosen your grip..." Mikhail told me. I glanced down and noticed I really was clamping his hand with mine.

"Sorry..."

Mikhail gave me a look that said I had nothing to be sorry about.

Then, Dimitri and Rose were done with whatever business they had with Victor Dashkov.

Mikhail gave my hand one last squeeze before letting go. I looked up at Dimitri who was slowly approaching me. He stopped beside me and whispered in Russian, "I know it wasn't easy for you, but...thank you, Maya..." He looked as if he wanted to reach out to me, but thought better of it because of our last experience together. Just being beside each other was hard enough.

I simply nodded at him, unable to form any comprehensible words. He left with Rose and Mikhail followed after them. I told him I needed a few minutes to myself and I stayed there, standing opposite to Victor's cell. "I'm surprised Rose didn't notice the flying sparks between you and Dimitri. It must be tough, huh? Knowing that the man you love is with a girl that he doesn't love as much as he loves you?"

I sighed. "You can't make such assumptions. He has every reason to love Rose more than me."

"Oh right. Of course he does. I mean you're the girl who let Ivan die, you're the girl who had a one night stand with Adrian Ivashkov" - I didn't even want to know how he found that out - "you're the girl who was always involved with Abe Mazur, but at the same time you're the girl who he's been in love with since he stepped into school. It doesn't matter what mistakes you make, Maya, Dimitri is always going to picture you as perfect."

I stared at him, wondering what his motive was for bringing this topic up. I decided it was better not to wonder and instead blatantly ask, "What are you trying to do?"

Victor smirked. "Oh nothing, darling. It's just been so long since I've had the joys of hearing about your complicated love life. In fact, I would love for you to sit behind me tomorrow. I'm sure you will have lovely commentary to share with me."

"You aren't going to sell out Rose and Dimitri, are you?"

He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "I thought that's what you would want."

"No. Victor, I swear, if you do anything to Dimitri I will personally have you killed." Even though I knew it was a bluff, Victor actually seemed to believe it. He looked back at me and narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized me. "I've already lost Ivan and my father and I'm not willing to lose Dimitri to whatever schemes you have planned."

"I wonder what Abe thinks about all of this," Victor murmured.

"What do you mean?" I immediately regretted asking the question. I should have just left instead of letting Victor get into my head.

"Well, he hasn't kept a girl like you around since Janine Hathaway, so he's obviously infatuated with you, but then you're still in love with the guy that his daughter is in love with. Have you thought about having a reality TV show?"

"Good night, Victor," I said as I turned around to leave.

"Like I said, come sit behind me tomorrow."

"Not going to happen." I ran up the stairs and outside to where Mikhail was waiting for me. "You didn't have to wait for me," I told him.

"I just wanted to walk you back to your room. I'm sorry you had to listen to all of that back

there. I know it isn't easy when you and Dimitri..." He trailed off. "I just wish I could make things better."

I laughed. "You wish you could make things better? I wish I could bring Sonya back for you. I can't imagine waiting so many years for something you don't even know you'll be able to have again. I mean, at least I know Dimitri is safe and happy..."

Mikhail looked over at me, his eyes filled with more emotion than I had ever seen before. "Maya...back there, when I said if thing were different...but I didn't get to finish..." He hesitated. "...If things were different, I think you and I would be..." He blushed, as if was embarrassed to admit that he had thought about us together or thought about himself with anyone besides Sonya.

I gave him a pat on the back. "Trust me, buddy, you don't want to get involved with this."

He gave a small smile. "I suppose after tonight, I should know that. I mean, there's Dimitri, and Adrian, and Abe...and I feel like I'm forgetting about five hundred other guys."

I playfully punched him in the arm as we reached my room. "See you tomorrow."

He gave me one last lingering look. "Good night, Maya."


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty-Two: The Trial**

I didn't sleep at all last night.

I walked into the courtroom, my head and heart pounding. I glanced around and saw all the other guardians dressed in their usual black slacks, white tops , and black blazers, and I immediately felt out of place in my lively floral dress with an open back. Of course, I didn't let anyone else know my insecurity as I walked by the guardians with my head held high. Most people who didn't know me would assume I was a Moroi anyway due to my lean build.

"Maya Schoenberg, there's a reserved spot for you in the front row," a random guardian told me.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me. How the hell does Victor Dashkov, who is the one being tired, save seats for people?" I asked, irritated. The guardian looked uncomfortable, as if he didn't know how to respond to me.

"He's royal, so he can still get anything he wants until he's convicted." I recognized not only Adrian's voice but I could feel his aura as he was playfully rubbing my bare back. "Don't you think this is a little scandalous for a court room?"

"Well, you don't seem to mind."

He smirked. "Most of the guys in this courtroom won't mind. Are you trying to throw Dimitri off of his game during his testimony?"

All the sudden it hit me. "That's it! That's why Victor wants me to sit behind him."

Adrian shook his head. "I don't think it matters where you sit, Schoenberg, you're going to be a distraction for anyone."

Now I was starting to become self-conscientious. "Is it really that bad?" I asked.

"No, I just like giving you a hard time. If anyone can pull it off, it's you."

"I think you better take your hand off my back before your lovely great-aunt burns me alive with her stare," I told him, glancing over at the queen.

Adrian laughed. "She's knows we were just joking around last night. In fact, her exact words were, 'It's okay, Adrian, you normally do a lot worse than her.' So while I'm lowering your reputation, you're raising mine."

"Glad I could help." I looked around the courtroom again. "We better take our seats."

He patted my back once again, just for good measure. "See you later, Schoenberg."

I glared at Victor as I sat down in my reserved seat.

"Why the sour face?" He asked me. "You've got the best seat in the house."

I didn't respond, and I sat there awkwardly as I waited for the trial to start. The testimonies soon began and I dozed off during most of the guardians' testimonies, but I was practically on the edge of my seat during Dimitri's. However, I couldn't quite concentrate on what he was saying. I kept seeing flashes of a battle happening at St. Vladimir's. Dimitri was there and...

Suddenly, I was brought back to the courtroom. "Based on the events, it sounds like there was a delay between when she discovered that and when you alerted the others," Victor's lawyer said.

"She couldn't act on it because Mr. Dashkov" - Jesus, even when Dimitri was in danger he was still polite - " had inflicted a charm on her, one that caused her to attack me." I saw a slight change in his aura, telling me he was lying, but I could also tell just by looking at him because I knew him so well. His eyes suddenly noticed me, but they quickly glanced away. I felt embarrassed as he continued, "Mr. Dashkov works with earth magic..." His voice faded out as I saw more of the battle vision. Dimitri was there, fighting against a Strigoi, and it didn't look so good...

Victor's chuckle brought me back to reality.

"Mr. Dashkov, please respect the decorum of this courtroom."

Victor, still smiling, waved his hands in apology. "I'm terribly sorry, Your Honor and Your Majesty. Something in Guardian Belikov's testimony just tickled my fancy, that's all."

I wanted to pounce on him right then and there, but glancing up I saw Dimitri give me a warning look as he left and Christian Ozera came up. I stared at him, seeing the resemblance between him and his aunt, Tasha. His testimony was rather short and now it was time for Rose Hathaway.

Even though her aura said otherwise, her face remained calm as she was called up and gave the oath. Staring at her, I still had a hard time accepting that she was not only the new girl in Dimitri's life, but Abe's daughter. I could see the similarities - the dark hair, eyes, and skin, but at the same time she seemed so different. During the charm part of her testimony, her eyes bore down at Victor, while Victor simply smiled. As Rose left and Lissa was called up, he turned back toward me. "Isn't this so much fun?"

"It will be if I can rip off your head afterwards," I replied.

I struggled with trying to keep my violent side tucked away as Lissa did her testimony.

Finally, Victor was called up. "Wish me luck," he told me as he headed up.

I rolled my eyes, annoyed by his casual attitude. If any outsider were watching this trial, they would not have assumed Victor was the one being convicted of a crime. He looked like he had nothing to worry about.

The first part of his testimony was a blur. The vision was creeping back up again...

"Can you say that about everyone you used to meet your ends? Guardian Belikov and Miss Hathaway had no say in what you made them do," the lawyer stated.

Dimitri is going to die. That's what my vision told me as I saw a Strigoi sucking out all of his blood. I began to shake, trying to hold back my overwhelming emotions. _No, no, no! Not him, anyone but him!_

Victor chuckled. "Well, that's a matter of opinion. I honestly don't think they minded. But if you have time after this case, Your Honor, you might want to consider trying a statutory rape case."

I needed to get out of here. While everyone was in shock from what Victor said, I was able to weave my way through the people and quickly escape out the doors.

Once I was out of the building, I ran. I didn't know where I was going to, but I knew I just needed to get out of here. My legs buckled underneath me and I fell to the ground, sobbing. It couldn't happen, I couldn't let it happen. The world could not take Dimitri away - I had already lost so much.

I knew what I needed to do. I needed to be Adrian's guardian. I could remain close to Dimitri and stop whatever was going to kill him.

"Schoenberg?"

My previous thought completely melted away once I heard Abe's voice. I used whatever remaining strength I had to bring myself back onto my feet and throw my arms around him. I buried my face into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Jesus, Schoenberg, did you miss me that much?"


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter Forty-Three: Celebration or Investigation?**

Once I was on the jet with Abe and Pavel, I didn't look back. I didn't belong at Court and I didn't belong at St. Vladimir's. I belonged here.

Even though I had only been away from Abe for a couple weeks, it felt like I hadn't seen him in years. We quickly became the inseparable partners in crime we previously were, except now Pavel tagged along like he was the awkward third wheel on a date. I tried to make him feel included by making conversation with him, but it would normally fail. However, what he lacked in social skills, he made up for in his fighting and strength.

As a celebration of my return, Abe decided to treat both Pavel and I to a fancy dinner. Pavel, once again lacking the knowledge of what to do in this social situation, showed up to dinner wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans. Sitting down next to him, I felt overdressed in my black bodycon dress. "...It's probably been awhile since you've had a nice meal like this, huh?" I asked him, once again trying to make one of my attempts to include him in the group.

He shrugged. "I guess." As always, my attempt failed to get him to say more than two words.

I inwardly sighed, looking around for any sign of Abe. Where was he and why was he taking so long to get here? I awkwardly looked down and checked my phone, seeing if he left me any messages. I didn't have any messages from Abe, but I did have one from Adrian.

_We need to talk. Call me when you get a chance._

I glanced over at Pavel and wondered if it would be inappropriate to call. Then again, Pavel probably wouldn't know the difference. I was about to dial his number when Abe finally decided to show up. "Schoenberg, I'm glad you got the memo of classic black." I looked up at him and saw we did match. I secretly wondered if he took so long because he was debating what to wear.

"Pavel did, too," I replied, pointing to his black t-shirt.

Of course, Pavel didn't say anything. Abe simply smirked as he sat down beside me. He leaned into me and whispered, "You may think it's weird that I'm celebrating your return, but after a month of just being in his company, you're like a gift from heaven."

I smiled at him and whispered back, "I don't think you needed Pavel to remind you that I'm a gift from heaven."

He laughed. "You have no idea how much I missed you, Maya."

Hearing my first name from him, I knew he sincerely meant what he had said. "Life was boring at Court without you either. I mean, toward the end when everyone started showing up, it got more interesting, but it was nothing like being with you."

Abe became awkwardly quiet after that and I leaned back into my seat, wondering if Abe had picked up Pavel's social awkwardness while I was gone and now I was stuck having dinner with two uncomfortable men. I glanced back down at my phone again, knowing I had to call Adrian at some point, but I couldn't bring myself to leave the table.

"Was Dimitri there?" Abe finally asked.

I glanced over at him, finally realizing why he had grown so silent. He was worried about what the time apart had done to our relationship, especially if Dimitri had been involved. Did he not trust me? Of course, thinking back to when Dimitri and I kissed in his room, I guess he had every right to be jealous of the man I've known and loved since I was little. However, as soon as Abe mentioned Dimitri, I couldn't shake away the visions that I had of his death. I looked back down at my phone. Is that why Adrian wanted me to call him?

"Yes, he was there," I finally answered, feeling sick to my stomach. The fact that i didn't add more to my reply made both me and Abe uneasy. I wasn't going to tell him what happened, not right now. I needed to do it sometime when it was just Abe and me, not in some public place among other people such as this restaurant.

"May I get you drinks to start off?" The waitress's voice surprised both me and Abe.

"Something strong," I blurted out. I was going to need some buzz to get me through tonight based off of what's already happened.

"Agreed," Abe said. Obviously, he felt the same way.

The waitress uncomfortably glanced between us. "...Alright. And what about you?" She asked Pavel.

"Water." Seriously? Could this man not say more than one or two words at a time?

"Well, I'll be right out with your drinks..." The waitress mumbled before awkwardly leaving.

"How was he?" Abe asked me.

"Who?"

"Dimitri."

I looked at Pavel for a way to get out of this conversation, but he seemed fascinated by another couple sitting farther away. I sighed. "Abe, do we really have to talk about this right now? I thought it was suppose to be a celebration, not an investigation."

He slouched back in his seat and looked at me intently. "Alright. This is a celebration as long as you tell me what happened later."

"Deal," I replied, smirking. "Good thing we ordered strong drinks if this is a celebration, huh?"


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter Forty-Four: Giggles and Dancing**

A band came into the restaurant and began playing after we were finished with our meal. I suggestively glanced over at Abe. "Did you plan this?" I asked.

Abe simply smiled back at me. "Jesus, Schoenberg, your Russian accent really comes out when you're drunk. How many drinks have you had anyway?"

To tell the truth, I hadn't kept track of how many drinks I've had. I simply wanted to push away the fact that Dimitri could be dead and Adrian's been trying to tell me all night about it. "A couple," I giggled, leaning in toward him. "Do you want to dance with me?" I whispered as my hand deviously traveled down to his chest.

He glanced down at my hand, then back into my eyes. "Are you able to dance this intoxicated?"

My suggestive smile grew. "I think I can handle it," I said as I got up from my chair, grabbing Abe's hands and pulling him up. He guided me to the dance floor and we immediately fell into a rhythm. "Do you think Pavel will be okay?" I asked Abe, glancing over at the table where he was sitting alone.

He scoffed."He'll be fine. I don't know why you try so hard to include him."

I shrugged. "I guess I feel bad for him. Being the social outcast is never fun."

"I have a feeling he's been the social outcast his entire life, so he probably doesn't know any difference," Abe replied. "I also have a feeling you have no idea what it's like to be the social outcast."

I smiled. "No, I don't." The band had just finished playing a faster song and switched over to a slower song. I rested my head against his chest as his hands lowered farther down my hips.

"I'm sorry about earlier...I shouldn't have pushed the whole Dimitri thing.."

"I'm sorry, too...I shouldn't have reacted the way I did...I mean, it was silly," I replied, giggling. "Dimitri and I did kiss, but it was nothing."

Abe froze. "You two...kissed?"

I looked up at him. "But, like I said, it was nothing."

"If it was nothing, you two wouldn't have kissed at all." I could hear a slight jealous tone in Abe's voice.

Trying to get him out of his sour mood, I leaned in toward him. "Abe, do you really want to ruin tonight by obsessing over one little kiss I had with someone else I will probably never see again?" I whispered. "Tonight's a night of celebration in which two souls are brought back together...and I plan to take advantage of tonight like there's no tomorrow." Okay, so maybe the alcohol was starting to take over now.

Abe was starting to notice this as well. "Maya, I think you need to sit down."

I simply smiled. "You're crazy if you think I'm doing that - the party's just getting started!"

"No, Maya, really..."

"Are you jealous because I kissed Dimitri and not you?"

Abe uncomfortably avoided making eye contact with me. "I thought we were moving past this topic..."

"Do you want me to kiss you?" I giggled as I leaned in closer.

"Maya..." He warned.

"You do, don't you?" I smirked as I closed the distance between my face and his. Once our lips met, Abe didn't break away. Instead, he kissed back, validating exactly what I had thought. He was jealous, but now that I was with him, he couldn't resist me.

Just then, Pavel broke us apart.

"What the hell?" I asked, but Pavel (of course) didn't respond. Instead, he attacked the Strigoi that had been lingering around both me and Abe. Normally, I would have felt bad about not noticing the Strigoi, but I was thrown off by the fact I recognized the Strigoi. He was the Strigoi who was suppose to rip out Keith Darnell's eye. I promised I would heal him, even though I had no clue how to. However, that would never happen due to my high level of intoxication. I struggled to speak coherently as Pavel staked the Strigoi and screamed when I saw the eye that rolled out of the Strigoi's hand.

Abe helped me leave the scene, especially since I could barely walk on my own.

The last thing I remember was saying, "I need to call Adrian."


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter Forty-Five: Goodbye?**

I had never been this hung over in my life. My head was throbbing and it felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds as I struggled to get myself out of bed. I flung my legs over the side and stayed there, resting my head in my hands. What happened last night? I remember flashes of memories, such as Abe and I kissing and the Strigoi with the eye...and I knew I had called Adrian at one point.

I looked up and grabbed my phone sitting on the night stand. Sure enough, as I checked my recent calls, Adrian's was the most recent at two in the morning. I couldn't remember anything about the conversation we had, and I debated whether or not to call him again. I decided against it because who knows what I was saying when I was so drunk. I just hoped I didn't reveal anything I wasn't suppose to.

"You're up." Even after such an eventful night, Pavel still said two words at a time.

"Keen observation," I replied. "Where's Abe?"

He shrugged.

I sighed. I should have expected such an answer. Realizing Pavel wasn't going to help in piecing together last night, I shakily got up and walked toward the door. Before leaving, I glanced back at Pavel. "...Thanks for saving us last night." I suddenly felt ashamed that I was too intoxicated to protect Abe.

He shrugged again. "It's my job."

I stared at him in shock. "You just said more than two words."

Pavel smiled. "Yes, believe it or not, I can speak English fluently. However, I've learned saying less is better."

I blinked a couple times, still surprised. "...Why?"

His smile grew bigger. "I think last night should be a good example."

I blushed. "...Fair point," I replied before leaving to find Abe. I secretly wondered what Pavel thought about me and Abe, but I almost didn't want to know, especially if he based his opinion off of last night. Instead, I let that thought go and continued to search around for Abe. Fortunately, he must have been on his way to see me because we practically ran into each other.

"Maya..." He stared at me, unsure of what to say.

"What happened last night?" I asked. "I mean, I remember the Strigoi...and kissing you..."

Abe smirked. "Well, out of all the things to remember from last night, I'm glad you remembered that."

I rolled my eyes. "Seriously, what happened last night?"

"I think you should sit down for this," Abe told me, which was never a good sign. He lead me into another small compartment of the jet and we sat across from each other at the table. "What do you want to know?"

"Did I call Adrian?"

He sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't start with that."

"Great, that makes it sound promising. What did me and my big mouth do?"

Abe gave me a serious look. "...I wouldn't have pushed the whole Dimitri thing last night if you told me what you told Adrian."

I instantly realized what I had told Adrian. "You would've thought I was crazy if I told you I had a vision of Dimitri dying..."

"Is that why you kissed him?"

I hesitated. Why did I kiss Dimitri? Or was it Dimitri who kissed me? Either way, I knew the answer to his question, "No...I had the vision after I kissed him...right before you found me."

He let my words sink in before saying anything else. "You need to be Adrian's guardian."

I stared at him, shocked. "...But I'm your guardian."

"You don't belong here right now. You need to be at St. Vladimir's and make sure your vision doesn't come true. We're not that far from Court. We'll drop you off and you'll have to persuade the queen to let you be Adrian's guardian, which, by the way it sounded, won't be that hard to do." It looked like it pained him to say those words, but they were the only words I needed to convince me otherwise.

"Thank you," I managed to say. "I'll come back as soon as I can."

By the expression Abe gave me, he looked certain that this would be the last time he would see me.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter Forty-Six: The Shortest Chapter Known to Man**

I was standing outside the queen's room by myself for once. No Dimitri to calm my nerves, no Abe to rile them up. Nobody. I felt empty as I waited there, wondering if I was too late.

"Maya Schoenberg, what a surprise," Queen Tatiana greeted me as I walked in.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," I replied, trying to be as polite as possible, which was quite a chore for me.

"Oh, no. I just wasn't expecting you, especially after you left during the trial so suddenly."

I winced. "Oh, right. Sorry about that, I just couldn't take Victor Dashkov's commentary anymore."

"Understandable. Now, what is it you want to talk to me about?"

I hesitated, unsure of how to start. "Well, Your Majesty...I've made a big mistake in being Abe's guardian and I wish to take up the proposition you offered me and be Adrian's guardian instead."

"No."

I blinked my eyes a couple times, confused by the instant rejection. "No?"

The queen sighed. "It's not you...it's just...Adrian's been fooling around with that Hathaway girl and I can't be throwing any other dhampir girl at him. Do you understand?"

Rose and Adrian? I wondered if that's what Adrian originally wanted to call me about.

"Your Majesty, I do understand, but hear me out when I say Adrian and I are-"

I was interrupted by guardians entering the room. I immediately recognized Mikhail and he gave me a questioning look. The rest of the guardians looked wildly afraid and dysfunctional. I already knew the news they were going to tell the queen.

"St. Vladimir's has been attacked?" I asked.

They all stared at me in shock as they slightly nodded their heads.

Queen Tatiana studied me, obviously wondering how I knew such a thing before she did. She finally gave me a knowing look and said, "I guess we need to send some reinforcements."


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter Forty-Seven: A Chat With Janine

I was uncharacteristically quiet as the jet headed toward Montana. I was actually glad Mikhail had to stay behind because otherwise he would be trying to comfort me. Right now I just wanted to be left alone and my wish was granted due to the fact that everyone else was intimidated by me. I caught the other guardians glancing over at me, but would look away when I noticed their attention. Finally, I broke the awkward silence. "How many were injured already?"

The guardians hesitated before answering. "Fifteen Moroi and twelve guardians were killed and thirteen were captured," one guardian told me. I immediately recognized her as Janine Hathaway. "I never expected you to show up as reinforcement." The way she said this made me believe she knew about my assignment to Abe.

I was rendered speechless for a couple moments. Did I see a flash of jealousy in her aura? "...Well, you know me. I'm never the one to do the expected thing..." I finally responded. "Do we have a list of who was lost?"

She handed me a piece of paper and I inwardly sighed when I didn't recognize any of the names. Dimitri was still safe. I wasn't too late. My mood lifted a little as we finally landed in the familiar terrain of St. Vladimir's.

To be honest, I was rather bored. I forgot how hesitant guardians were. They had to think through every outcome and consider every possible consequence. I just wanted to yell, "Just shut up and let's go fight!" but the only other person who seemed to have the same anxious energy was Rose. Fortunately, with so many guardians around, Dimitri hadn't noticed my presence. I kept my eye on him but realized he was preoccupied with the nervous Rose.

"Maya Schoenberg!" I felt an arm sling around my shoulders and I looked up to see Stan Alto. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"...Yeah, I've been getting the same reaction from a lot of people. Are we ever going to do something besides standing around?" I grumpily asked.

He laughed. "And I see you haven't changed a bit. Aren't you suppose to be causing trouble with Abe?"

I shrugged. "Abe can't be the only one to enjoy my charming company."

Alberta approached us and was temporarily stunned by my presence. "We're going to have a meeting in a few hours, but we have to wait for more reinforcements. Apparently the Strigoi are only five miles away," she informed Stan.

"Five miles? Jesus, we could practically have a violent welcome to the neighborhood party and kill them all," I responded.

Alberta gave a little smirk at my response but didn't say anything to me as she continued on to share the information with the other guardians. "You know what would be fun? If you, Janine, and Dimitri were in a group together to fight the Strigoi. That would present a fascinating dynamic - the awkward sexual tension between you and Dimitri and the jealousy of you that Janine is trying to hold back but obviously can't," Stan rambled.

"Wow, you really pick up fast. But honestly, there's no reason for Janine Hathaway to be jealous of me."

Stan's grin widened. "Oh no, of course not, I mean, you're Abe's guardian and you get to be around him all the time while she probably hasn't seen him in 18 years."

"...If she really wanted to see him again, she could have found a way," I said, recalling what Abe had told me about their relationship.

"I suppose that's true, but what dedicated guardian like Janine would actually give up time to do such a petty thing as that?"

I suddenly didn't want to talk about this anymore and I escaped from Stan's arm. "I need to find Dimitri." It was a half-lie. Part of me wanted to find him and talk to him, but I really just needed an excuse to get away. Without realizing it, I had passed through the ward and found myself face to face with Mason again.

I stared at him for a while before speaking. "...Back at Court...were you trying to tell me about Dimitri?" I asked.

He nodded.

"...Could I save him...?" I questioned, the thought of Dimitri dying sending shivers through my entire being. "I know my vision said otherwise, but I can't...I can't let it happen..." My voice wavered as I kept mumbling.

Mason frowned and my stomach immediately dropped. "No..." I whispered. "No, you don't understand..I can't lose him...I can't!"

"Maya?"

Janine's voice surprised me and I quickly turned around. "...Oh...um, hi."

"Who were you talking to?"

I blinked a couple times, unsure of how to answer that question. "...I was...um, praying..."

"Praying?" She sounded suspicious of my answer.

"...Yeah, praying...I mean, that's not ridiculous considering we're about to jump into a massive battle..." I tried to explain.

She studied me. "I guess I never took you as a religious person."

"I need something to keep me sane while I'm with Abe," I retorted.

She laughed...she actually laughed. I stared at her in surprise. I don't think I had ever heard such a serious guardian like her laugh before. It actually helped me not feel so depressed about Dimitri's fate. "...By the way...how is Abe?" Janine asked.

So this was the real reason she came to talk to me. "Good...I mean, he now has two badass Russian guardians, so nothing's going to happen to him."

She gave a faint smile. "That's good..." She became quiet after that.

I didn't know how to quite handle this more vulnerable Janine Hathaway. "...We should probably get back. I mean, I know we're probably the two shortest guardians here, but we're also the ones that can kick the most ass."

Janine looked up and I saw a surprising expression in her eyes: approval.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter Fourty-Eight: Drama Before the Fight

Janine and I were accidentally fifteen minutes late for the guardian meeting in which Alberta had briefed the rest of those attending about the Strigoi's location. I could tell Janine was debating whether or not to say something.

"Just go for it, girl," I teasingly motivated her.

It was the push she needed to speak her mind. "I think the senior novices should fight."

My eyes widened. I wasn't expecting that. Suddenly, the guardians were getting into a debate. "Isn't this great? Don't you miss St. Vlad's?" I didn't realize Stan was beside me until he spoke up.

I wasn't able to respond because Janine dropped another bomb. "And we should take Moroi with us."

"Yeah, okay, I'm getting out of here before things get too crazy," I muttered as I snuck through the massive group of guardians. Some of them naturally backed away from me because of who I was, but I had to push through other people. I happened to glance around the room and caught eye contact with Dimitri. His eyes immediately displayed shock that I was here, but he instantly broke eye contact with me when Rose said something. Looking at him, my heart broke a little and I knew I needed some fresh air before the battle.

The cold air helped bring me back to reality. I walked around the campus to see what damage had already been done. The grey sky and bodies laying around only made me upset, knowing that Dimitri could be added. I practically collapsed to the ground, burying my head in my hands. I tried to take deep breaths, but I shook from the uncontrollable emotions running through me.

Then, I swear I felt my dad right there with me. It's like I could hear him say, "it'll all be okay" as he kissed my forehead.

"...I feel like I've let you down...like I've let everyone down..." I whispered as I looked up, but he wasn't there. Emptiness immediately filled me as I felt completely and utterly alone. Suddenly, I wanted to be with Abe and Pavel again because I somehow in my gut knew that Dimitri's fate was sealed and there was nothing I could do to save him.

Speaking of Dimitri, I could hear him talking to Rose. They must have left the guardian meeting early as well. "I don't think what we did was wrong," Dimitri softly said. "I'm glad we did it. If we could go back in time, I'd do it again."

I froze up. I could think of a couple things he was talking about, and I didn't like any of them.

"Really? What changed your mind?" Rose asked.

"Because you're hard to resist." I felt as if someone had just punched me in the gut. "And...do you remember what Rhonda said?"

Rhonda? Who was she? Even though I really didn't want to listen in anymore, I couldn't help but continue to torture myself.

"Something about how you're going to lose something..." Rose vaguely responded.

"You will lose what you value most, so treasure it while you can," Dimitri reminded her.

My stomach sank even further. That's exactly what my vision had told me, so obviously Rhonda was similar to Dimitri's grandmother, Yeva, who could see the future.

"Wait. You think I'm going to die? That's why you slept with me?" Rose asked.

I winced. There it was. They actually slept with each other. Somehow it bothered me more than it should have. Maybe because when I had tried to have that moment with Dimitri, Ivan and his Strigoi friends ruined it. Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to be anywhere but here, any place where I didn't have to hear this conversation. Looking back, I realized I was closer to them than I wanted to be. I was worried if I moved they would notice, but seeing how infatuated with each other they were, I figured I could swiftly move away without being detected.

I was right. I was able to crawl away and head back to the guardians. Janine was there, leading them in the organizing of groups who were going into the caves. When I entered, the entire group looked at me. I hadn't realized I was crying until now. "...I need to talk to Guardian Hathaway..." I managed to say.

At first, I thought she was going to refuse, but she immediately pulled herself away from the rest of the guardians. "What's wrong?" She sincerely asked.

"I need to ask a favor of you."

She stared at me expectantly.

I took a deep breath. "I can guarantee you Dimitri will die in that cave, and I need you to leave me in there with him."

She blinked a couple times in disbelief. "...Wait, what? Does Abe know about this?"

Normally, I would be annoyed if someone asked me that, but since this was Janine, I knew she was just concerned about Abe. I couldn't believe what I was saying. Closing my eyes, I let myself accept this suicide mission.

"Yes...yes, I think Abe knew this would be the outcome...but I want you to be the one to tell him when I, you know..." I realized it was going to be a hard job, but if anyone was going to do it, it should be Janine. I thought the gap created by my absence could be filled by her.

She studied me for a little while longer. "...Maya...I can't...I can't let you leave Abe like this..." She finally admitted.

I sighed, feeling tears coming again, this time for realizing how selfish I was being. "...You're right...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have bothered you..." I suddenly felt ashamed and backed away from her.

"Maya...Maya, wait..." She grabbed my arm to stop me.

I stared at her expectantly.

"...Even though I'd rather not, I'll let you be in the same group with Dimitri."


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter Fourty-Nine: A Much-Needed Conversation

More guardians arrived within the last hour before the battle and we went over the game plan again. Fifteen guardians, including me and Dimitri, would be entering in the cave from either side, accompanied by three Moroi each. Ten guardians would remain at each entrance to hold back any escaping Strigoi, and the remaining guardians would remain on the school campus.

Janine kept her promise. I was entering in the same side of the cave with both her and Dimitri. Stan, of course, had to tease me about it, especially since he was in the exact same group. "Maya, did I tell you or what?" He asked me when he found me among the large group of guardians. "At least you'll be able to beat out your anger."

"I'm not angry. It makes sense, actually. Dimitri and I are accustomed to fighting together."

Stan simply smiled and shook his head. "Sure, Schoenberg, sure." He left after that to talk to Alberta about last minute details.

"...Hey."

Only his voice could make me choke up like I did. I turned around to face my childhood friend, but the only thing that came to mind was the vision I had of him at Victor's trial. "...Hi," I managed to squeak out.

"So we're in the same group, huh?"

I stared at him, realizing this might be the last conversation I have with him. "...Yeah...yeah, we are..."

His expression was unidentifiable. "...Maya...I don't..." He struggled to find any words. "...Just be careful, okay?"

Did he think he would lose me? I almost smiled at how ironic this moment was. Even when Dimitri was unknowingly running toward his death, he was still concerned about me. "You too," I replied. "...I don't know if I can handle losing both you and my dad in one year." Mentioning my father made me suddenly wish he was here.

Dimitri placed his hands on my shoulders. "...He would be right here if he could be," he told me, as if he could read my mind.

"...I know...I took a walk outside today and I swear I could feel him with me..."

Dimitri smirked. "You're seeing ghosts, too, huh?"

I glanced up at him. "...What do you mean?"

"Oh, well, Rose has been having trouble after the whole Spokane incident. She keeps seeing Mason's ghost."

I became speechless. It was weird to think that Rose and I weren't so different after all.

Dimitri gave me a questioning look. "...I know it sounds crazy, but-"

"-I've seen him, too. I mean, I've seen his ghost. I don't think it's crazy at all...I mean, both her and I kind of died, but were revived by spirit...if we passed it makes sense we can see those who have passed already..." I rambled.

"...I'm so sorry, Maya...I know it was bad for Rose, but I never realized you went through the same thing...I wish I could've helped you..."

I shrugged. "It wasn't the ghosts that were bothering me. I've just been having some not-so-great visions lately..."

He studied me. "Is that why you left Victor's trial early?"

"You noticed?"

"Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn't watching you."

I tried not to overthink what he had just said. "...Yeah, I kind of had my worst nightmare come to life in that vision...between that and Victor's annoyingly laid-back persona, I couldn't take it anymore. I just..." I paused, thinking of how to properly word my feelings. "I just wish I hadn't left things the way they were between us."

"Me too...I mean, it's all so confusing...I love Rose so much, but I look at you and...and it's so hard because you're the girl I've loved since I was little, but it's a different sort of love..." I had never seen Dimitri struggle so much to express himself. "...You're always going to be my best friend, and if I'm going to die today...I'm glad you'll be at my side for one last fight together."

I surprised both him and myself when I wrapped my arms around him. "I love you, Dimka." I didn't say it in a romantic way, but in a way a sister would say to a brother. Dimitri was like my family. I inhaled his scent, accepting that this was going to be one of our last moments together. After a couple moments, I broke away from him and smirked. "Let's go kick some Strigoi ass."


	50. Chapter 50

**sissymac - professional? haha, I'm flattered :)**

**Ahhh! I can't believe I'm at chapter 50! **

**Chapter Fifty: A Vision Come True**

As pathetic as it sounded, the fight with the Strigoi was a blur. I believed it was the adrenaline that kept me going. Don't get me wrong, I remembered some of the details such as being trapped by seven Strigoi. I thought for sure I would lose Dimitri then, but somehow we all miraculously survived. It wasn't until we were just about to flee that three Strigoi jumped out and surprised us all when Dimitri faltered.

It was because I smiled at him. He saw my gleeful expression and I could see a hint of a grin starting to come out when the Strigoi attacked him.

It was then I realized Mason was right. I couldn't save him - in fact, I was the one who unknowingly killed him. I distracted him for one moment and it took his life, just like how it had with Ivan.

The next few moments felt as if they took years. I immediately hear Rose's scream. I, on the other hand, reacted in a completely different way. I stood there, just staring in shock. I knew this was coming, but somehow I still couldn't accept this was reality. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was some deja vu. First Ivan, and now Dimitri. It couldn't happen like this, this couldn't be real...

"Maya!" I hear Janine scream as she shook me. "Get out of here!"

Rose screamed again and I glanced back at her as she tried to run past Stan and into the cave.

"Save Rose," I said in an uncomfortably level voice, "Abe would want you to save Rose."

Janine stared at me, and by the expression in her eyes, I could tell she understood why our previous conversation had happened before the battle. She knew it would be her job to tell Abe I wouldn't be coming back. I was surprised to see her eyes water as she turned and ran toward Rose to get her out of the cave.

Gut instinct took over as I rush into the expanding group of Strigoi. I managed to stake about five of them on my own, but one of them caught me by surprise and flung me down to the ground so I was laying right next to Dimitri.

"Maya..." I could hear him weakly mutter.

Frantically, I placed my hands on his face and tried to propel as much spirit as I could into him. "Don't leave me, Dimka," I urgently whispered. I could still change this outcome. I couldn't save Ivan, but I sure as hell could try to save Dimitri.

His eyelids began to droop as the Strigoi drank more of his blood. "No, no, no, no!" I began to scream wildly. I could practically feel Dimitri's soul dimming and diminishing. I tried to surge more spirit to him, but another Strigoi grabbed me and threw me against the wall of the cave. My head throbbed from the impact and I braced myself for the fate I knew I would have to face.

Death.

However, just then, the craziest thing happened. My father, as a ghost, started beating the living shit out of all the Strigoi. I stared in amazement, but I also questioned if the impact to my head effected what I was seeing. My amazement didn't last too long when I realized Dimitri's eyes opened. Only this time they weren't a deep chocolate brown - they were red.

Just like Ivan. I let both of my closest friends become Strigoi. I shook with uncontrollable grief, ashamed that I couldn't do anything to change the outcome.

"Such a pretty girl like you shouldn't be crying," one of the Strigoi told me as he kneeled down. "You know what would help you cheer up? A nice big bite." He grinned, showing his fangs as he leaned in toward my neck.

The Strigoi Dimitri shoved the other Strigoi away, taking his place as he kneeled beside me. "If anyone's going to drink from her, it should be me," he hissed and I cringed looking into those transformed eyes, but I couldn't help myself. I could still see the Dimitri I remembered, but the eyes threw everything off.

He leaned into me and as his lips brushed my ear he whispered, "I'm only going to suck enough blood to make you pass out. Then we'll leave you alone..."

Was this Strigoi version of Dimitri the same as the Strigoi Ivan? The way he whispered to me made me believe he had some conscience.

"...for now," he ended.

Never mind.

His teeth broke the skin of my neck and as he sucked my blood, I realized this was the closest I had ever felt to Dimitri. it made me think of the night when we almost had sex, but I left because of the danger I faced. Dimitri must have had the same thought because he tried to press me closer to him, even though we were practically clinging to each other. A part of me knew I shouldn't like this, that if I liked this, I was just like my bloodwhore mother, but I couldn't help it.

My eyes began to flutter as my vision blurred. Dimitri finally let go of me and let me fall to the ground. I stared up at him and the last thing I saw was his evil grin and menacing red eyes.


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter Fifty-One: Together

"Maya..."

I didn't want to open my eyes. If I opened my eyes, it would mean the last twenty-four hours were real and Dimitri was now a monster. I'd rather sleep the rest of my life and think it was a bad dream.

"Maya, please, wake up..."

"No," I stubbornly muttered.

I could hear a sigh. "You know, we can tell if you're awake just by the fact that you talked."

"Wow, when did you get so smart, Ivashkov?" I sarcastically responded as I tried to wrap myself more in the blankets.

Just then, I felt a light smack against my face. I immediately sprang up, my eyes open. However, all the guardians rushed over when I tried to violently reach out for Adrian. "What the hell was that?" I asked him.

He simply smirked. "It got you up, didn't it?"

Stan Alto sighed. "Adrian, I really don't think you want to piss off Maya right now...or ever, for that matter." He handed me a tray of food.

I stared at it, and even though my stomach was grumbling uncontrollably, I was too upset to eat. "I'm not hungry," I said as I pushed the tray away.

"Maya, you need to eat. You lost a ton of blood and, quite frankly, I don't understand how you survived twelve hours laying out in that cave passed out. I don't quite understand why they left you there, either, but I'm not going to complain." Stan set the tray on my lap.

I stared down at the food and finally gave into my stomach's protests. "...Dimitri made them leave me alone," I finally admitted as I dug into the food. "He drank just enough blood to make me pass out but stay alive. His exact words were, 'I'm only going to suck enough blood to make you pass out. Then we'll leave you alone...for now'."

The expressions on everyone's faces were unidentifiable. "...My God, Schoenberg, Dimitri turned a Strigoi...and then sucked your blood?" Adrian asked in shock. "And he's still going to go after you?"

I suddenly lost what little appetite I had when I heard Adrian word it that way.

"I'm so sorry, Maya," Stan told me as he reached out for my hand.

However, something broke inside of me and I pulled away from him and shoved my tray of food to the ground. "You know this is the second time I've had to see one of my best friends turn into a Strigoi in front of my eyes...do any of you possibly understand what it's like?! What's it's like to be completely helpless as you watch you lose someone you can never get back?! I've already lost Ivan and I've lost my father...I thought Dimitri was the limit! I thought the world had enough sense to leave me someone, but apparently I can't get close to anyone without them dying on me!"

The room was completely silent after that. The only noise was coming from me as I breathlessly sobbed and cried, hugging my knees to my chest. My whole body felt so worn from the blood loss and unending, overwhelming emotions taking over me. I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to shut out the cruel world and its unfair ways.

"Maya..."

I recognized the voice right away. I hadn't even noticed Abe was in the room until I heard him. I could feel him sit next to me on the bed and I looked up at him. Staring into his eyes, I realized the only other time I had seen this expression of his - when Ivan died. He had been the first one to see me after Ivan's death, the first one to comfort me after my father's death, and now after Dimitri's transformation into a Strigoi. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his neck.

"Maya..." His voice sounded more strained than usual as he wrapped his arms around me. "...You forget there are so many other people here that care about you...yes, Dimitri may be gone, and we can't completely fill in the gap he's created, but we can try our best."

It took a couple moments to let his words sink in. "I love you," I whispered so quietly I didn't even know if he heard. I didn't even mean for it to come out, but suddenly it was as if with Dimitri gone, I could clearly see Abe and all that he's done for me. I felt more complete in his arms than I had in a long time.

If Abe did hear what I said, he didn't let it on. Or, to be more precise, he didn't have time to react because Adrian joined the hug, causing a domino effect. The other people in the room, such as Stan and Alberta joined and I began to cry even more, but because I finally realized how loved I truly was.

Looking out from all the people hugging, I could see the ghost of my father's ghost standing in the corner of the room, staring at me. Tears were evident on his expressive face as he watched what was happening. Don't ever doubt yourself, Maya, I could practically hear him say. I'm so proud of you...and I guess I approve of Abe now.

I smirked. I wish there was a way I could thank him for everything, but he disappeared in a blink of an eye, leaving me surrounded by the living people who had suffered so much because of me but still loved me anyway.


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter Fifty-Two: To the Belikov's We Go!**

It was really too much to ask for a day off.

Within only a week, Abe had received news from Janine that Rose suddenly dropped out of school and left the country. Within the next two weeks, we received news from, ironically, Sydney Sage, the Alchemist who I ripped out Keith Darnell's eye out for, that Rose was in Russia. Within the next day, we were on a plane heading to my native country.

Immediately, I knew Rose had left to go after Dimitri; however, Abe didn't know about the more-than-teacher relationship between his daughter and Dimitri. I debated whether or not to break the news, but decided he would rather hear it straight from the source. I mean, I was Abe's guardian, not secretary. I was simply along for the ride and to smooth out any bumps in case we ran into danger.

Once we were off the plane, Abe was already making phone calls, turning into the serious mobster most people knew him to be. I tagged behind him and tried to make conversation with Pavel, which, of course, failed. I even spoke to him in Russian and he still wouldn't answer my conversational questions with more than one or two words.

Abe turned to me when we were off the phone. "Well, apparently Rose is passed out and keeps mumbling about the Belikovs. Do you want to drive us there? You know it the best out of all of us."

"Of course."

Taking some fancy rental car, we met Sydney and the unconscious Rose in a very small town a couple hours outside of Omsk. We all helped to move Rose into the back seat, where Sydney and Pavel sat on either side of her. Abe sat in the front with me. Sydney seemed particularly sad that we left her vintage rental car behind, but I think she understood why when I started to drive. If there's one thing Russians are good at, it's driving like a maniac. I knew these roads like the back of my hand and I drove approximately fifty miles over the speed limit. It wasn't like there were any cops around these deserted areas to stop and give me a speeding ticket.

"Jesus, Schoenberg, I didn't realize you were such a driving hazard," Abe joked.

I shrugged. "You're the one who gave me the keys," I replied as I drove over a bump.

Rose jumped and mentioned something about Dimitri, but settled back down, leaning her head on Pavel's shoulder. I giggled as I saw Pavel's expression in my rearview mirror. "You don't have many women hanging over you, huh?" I asked.

"Not really."

Abe smirked and leaned over toward me. "I'm telling you, he will never say more than two words so you should stop wasting your energy on him," he whispered.

"And spend it on you instead? You know, he said a full sentence to me before with a noun and a verb. It's not a lost cause."

"But wouldn't it be more fun to talk to me instead of trying to get Pavel to even carry on a conversation?"

I thought about it for a moment, even though I really didn't have to think about it. I would rather have a chat with Abe any day over Pavel. "Depends," I responded, toying with him. "Will you let me drive all the time?"

Abe leaned back in his seat. "...Schoenberg, are you trying to make a deal with me? I swear you're becoming more and more like me."

"Scary concept."

I couldn't help but notice the quiet Sydney sitting in the back seat, staring out the window. She hadn't said one single word since we got in the car. I knew Alchemists were uncomfortable around vampires, but I didn't think we were that intimidating. Well, okay, maybe Abe was with his flashy outfits...and I guess Pavel was with his overly muscular build, and after seeing the way I drive, I guess I was, too.

As we got closer to the Belikov household, I became more and more uncomfortable. I hadn't seen Dimitri's family since after Ivan's death...and I was assuming that was the last time Abe had seen them, too. Did I tell them about Dimitri? Looking back at Rose, I realized that also might have been the reason she was here.

Abe picked up on my nervousness right away. His hand started to reach toward me but stopped when he glanced back at Sydney. I simply smirked. Abe couldn't possibly show the Alchemist that he had a sensitive side.

Finally pulling up to the Belikov house, I sighed as I parked the car and got out. Abe walked around the car to meet me. This time he did reach out and touched my arm. "...I'm going to help Pavel carry Rose in...do you think you can do the talking?" He asked.

"Sure." I figured I should be the one talking anyway because I knew Dimitri's family the best.

I lead everyone to the front door and I looked back at Abe before knocking. He nodded at me and gave me a reassuring smile. My heart raced as I finally knocked on the door. Once the door opened, I was overwhelmed by the familiar faces of the Belikov family. All of their eyes were the same as Dimitri's and I couldn't help but think back to Dimitri's piercing red eyes.

"Maya!" Olena immediately wrapped her arms around me. "It's been so long since we've seen you!"

"It's nice to see you too," I said, but I couldn't quite make myself sound as enthusiastic as she was. "It's nice to see all of you," I added as I let go of Olena and looked at the rest of the family. They all gave me worried smiles because they could see Abe behind me. "Oh, um, I hope you don't mind...but there's someone that needs medical assistance...she kept mentioning Belikov so we brought her here..."

They all curiously looked behind me and saw Rose in Pavel's arms. "Maya, we don't know who she is..." Olena told me.

"Well, that's that. They don't know who she is, let's go find another place," Abe concluded.

I stared at him in surprise. I didn't realize how uncomfortable he was here until he said that. "Olena, please..." I begged. I knew we had to bring Rose here. There was simply no other place to bring her.

Olena glanced over at the unconscious Rose and back at me. "Fine, come on in."

I cautiously walked in while the others followed behind. We got Rose settled in on one of the beds as Olena checked her out. I stood beside Abe and he didn't seem particularly pleased. "I'm sorry..." I whispered to him. "But there was a part of me that knew Rose needed to be here."

His expression softened when he looked over at me. "It's not that...I just know this isn't easy for you..." I tried not to be affected by his genuine concern, but looking at him I still thought of the day after Dimitri turned when I had quietly admitted to him and myself that I loved him. I still wondered if he had actually heard it, but it was hard to imagine he didn't hear me with the way he was looking at me.

"It doesn't matter. This is what's best for Rose."

Abe stared at me, speechless.

Olena, done with her check-up with Rose, backed away and looked over at me. "So, how's Dimitri?"


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter Fifty-Three: Fun.

This was the topic I was dreading. I knew they would ask about Dimitri, but I didn't realize it would be so soon.

"How about we let Rose get some peace and quiet?" I replied, trying to avoid the subject.

"Of course. I'm sure all of you are hungry anyway." Olena lead us downstairs and we all settled down in the dining room. I sat down beside Abe and was surprised when Dimitri's three sisters crowded around to sit in the other spots close to me. Abe looked over at me with an amused expression.

Olena set drinks down for all of us and scurried back to the kitchen to prepare the food. I was going to tell her it was unnecessary, but I hadn't had a fully cooked Russian meal in a long time. Plus, I figured if one of them did ask I question I'd rather not answer, I could just shove food in my mouth to avoid it altogether. I grabbed a glass and took a drink.

Viktoria, the youngest of the three, smiled as she leaned forward. "You're even prettier than I remembered, Maya...it's been so long since we've seen you or Dimitri! How is he? Have you two finally started dating?"

I choked, not expecting that question. Jesus, this family was not scared to keep pushing a topic, especially when that topic was Dimitri. "...Um, I saw him about a month ago...and, uh...I guess we didn't talk much..." I fumbled, knowing I couldn't be the one to break the news. Rose went to Russia on her own and I knew it was her job.

"Oh..." Viktoria responded, obviously not thrilled with my answer.

Just then, Yeva, Dimitri's grandmother, walked in. Based upon the grin on her face, she had been listening into the conversation. She glanced between me and Abe and I swear it was like she knew about everything that had happened.

I uncomfortably looked away from her and down at the end of the table where Pavel and Sydney were sitting. "Oh, I forgot to introduce you to Abe's guardian, Pavel, and I'm sure you can already tell Sydney's an Alchemist. Pavel and Sydney, this is Karolina, Sonya, and Viktoria."

They all mumbled polite exchanges while Abe leaned in toward me. "Maya, seriously, you don't have to sit here and suffer through an interrogation. We can leave whenever," He whispered.

"Well, we might as well get a free meal out of this," I responded.

"Maya," Karolina, Dimitri's older sister, started, "What are you doing now? Obviously you

aren't at St. Vladimir's anymore."

This really was turning into an interrogation. "Actually, I'm Abe's guardian, too. You never know quite what to expect, but that's part of the fun."

Abe leaned in and jokingly put his arm around me. "She's not kidding. She really does define being around me everyday as fun."

I looked back and smiled at him, knowing this was his way of trying to avoid the deadly subject of Dimitri. "Well, I wouldn't say every day," I countered.

"Most days?" He compromised.

"Sure, sweetie," I sarcastically responded, "most days are fun with you."

The Belikov sisters watched our conversation like it was a ping-pong match, constantly glancing between me and Abe. Viktoria looked in awe that I could be so casual with such a mobster like Abe Mazur, while Sonya and Karolina watched in suspicion. I realize this technically could count as flirting, but the thing that surprised me most was the fact that I didn't care what they thought. That was the thing about being with Abe: everyone was going to judge me no matter what, so it was better just to be happy and not care.

"So...how have you guys been?" I asked. "You're still in school, right, Viktoria?"

Viktoria excitedly nodded. "Yep! I'm on break right now, but I'll be going back to school the Monday after Easter."

I leaned back in my chair. "School...those were the days, enjoy them while you can."

Viktoria gave me a funny look, but the other two Belikov sisters looked at me sympathetically, understanding what I meant. "Then again, I remember Dimitri talking about how you have photographic memory and how you didn't study for a single test but yet got A's on all of them," Sonya said.

"Photographic memory?" Abe asked.

I gave him a warning look, knowing my "talent" could be of use in the business he did. "Don't get any ideas."

Olena entered the dining room and set out a whole buffet of food. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble..." I told her.

She simply smiled at me. "It's not everyday that we have such guests."


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter Fifty-Four: The After-Supper Smooch

Even though Dimitri was mentioned a couple times during dinner, Abe was able to easily distract them away from that topic. Every time I gave him a grateful glance and he would respond with a knowing expression. I tried to avoid making eye contact with Yeva, but it was impossible not to notice the smug expression on her face. She had made the prediction years ago that Abe and I would end up together, and even though I wouldn't say Abe Mazur was anything close to my boyfriend, her prediction was essentially correct.

Fortunately, we survived dinner without any awkward moments. Before I knew it, we were heading toward the door and saying our good-byes. We had to leave Sydney there to keep track of Rose, and I felt bad for leaving her in a house full of vampires; however, at least the Belikov family was welcoming and not intimidating like Abe and Pavel.

I guess I wasn't the permanent driver because Abe took the driver's seat and I was stuck in the passenger's. We were all quiet as Abe drove to what I assumed to be the hotel we were staying at. I was too lost in my thoughts to speak. I still wondered if I should have told Dimitri's family about his death. Would they have appreciated hearing it from me rather than Rose? I felt bad I hadn't mentioned anything about Dimitri. I was the one person connecting the family to its only member abroad and I didn't bother to even say anything. They were probably so worried about him...

I wiped the tears away from my eyes, hoping that Abe wouldn't notice, but I could see him glancing over at me. He didn't say anything, though, as he pulled up to the hotel and parked.

Pavel and I followed him into the lobby as he checked in. I expected our room to be relatively fancy, but was surprised when I only saw one queen sized bed in our room. "Tell me we aren't all going to try to fit in that bed," I said.

"I'll sleep on the floor," Pavel insisted.

I glanced at him and was about to protest, but I realized it would be more uncomfortable if I had to share a bed with Pavel or, even worse, Abe and Pavel had to share. Plus, I was too tired to complain. Instead, I got ready for bed and took a shower. I came out in my robe and noticed Pavel was already settled in on the floor and Abe was waiting for me on the bed.

"...You didn't have to wait up for me," I whispered as I sat beside him.

"I know, but you seemed upset...I shouldn't have brought you to the Belikov's..."

I shook my head. "No, even though it was hard, it was nice to see them again...I just...I have a hard time looking them in the eyes when I know it was my fault Dimitri's gone..."

"It wasn't your fault, Maya..." He told me as he scooted closer to me. "...It was going to happen no matter what..."

"Dammit," I swore as I started to cry again. "I thought I was beginning to move past it...I want to move forward..."

"Dimitri was your best friend and it's only been a month...I think you're still allowed to shed a few tears," Abe whispered as he surprisingly reached out and wiped away the tears. "I just wish I could help..."

Then, I surprised him as I leaned forward and kissed him. "All I need is time...and as long as you stick it out with me for that time...I think I'll be okay..."

Abe kissed me back. "Maya, I think you're stuck with me for as long as you'll have me."


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter Fifty-Five: Dimitri's Surprise

I woke up, smothered by Abe's arms wrapped around me. I was surprised to find my face so close to Abe's bare chest. We must have moved closer to each other throughout the course of last night. I glanced up at him and noticed he was looking down at me. He was about to say something when Pavel surprised us both.

"This is why you two shared the bed," he said.

Abe and I broke away from each other, embarassed that he had seen us tangled together. Then again, he had seen me kiss Abe when I was intoxicated that one night. I still wondered what he thought about my relationship with Abe, but that was the one thing about Pavel - he was here to do his job, not to judge.

"Well, we could switch things up tonight," I joked. "Maybe you and Abe could share the bed tonight."

Abe and Pavel's expressions were priceless. I told them I was joking but they still seemed

uncertain as we headed out. Abe didn't necessarily have any plans for today - he had mentioned he had a few errands to run, but the way he said it made me feel like he didn't want me or Pavel to tag along. It made me nervous, but I had to remember Abe survived without guardians before; plus, there was one thing I knew I had to do.

"Take Pavel with you," Abe told me.

I was about to protest, but was caught by surprise when I saw the expression in Abe's eyes. It was like he knew I was going back to the place where we first met - the place where so many Moroi men had taken advantage of my mother. Going back home was almost like walking into a trap, and Abe's persistence was the only convincing I needed to bring Pavel with me.

I was quiet on the way there, too shocked by how familiar this walk was even though I hadn't been here in three years. Of course there were some changes, but overall I felt like I had just went back in time. However, I wasn't the same 18 year old girl anymore. I had seen and experienced so many things since then...

Looking up at the house I grew up in, my heart raced. I reached for the door, but hesitated when I thought of my mother. It was true, I hated what she did - I hated how it hurt my father, but somewhere deep inside of me also understood that my mother did love my father. I knew she couldn't have handled my dad's death very well and I felt regret for not contacting her earlier. I took in a deep breath and opened the front door of my childhood home.

"Mom?" I asked as I stepped in, Pavel following close behind.

No response.

"Mom?" I asked again as I searched the first floor. The kitchen and living room looked exactly the same as when I had last seen it, which sent chills down my spine. Something wasn't right here. Pavel seemed to notice the nervousness in me because he kept closer to me as we headed upstairs.

I didn't quite know what to expect, but I sure as hell didn't expect to run into Dimitri. However, there he was, in my mother's bedroom, with my mom's dead body in his arms. It took all my strength not to scream in horror as well as keep Pavel back. He was ready to completely destroy Dimitri, but something told me that I couldn't quite unleash Pavel on Dimitri just yet.

Dimitri's face completely changed when he saw me. His mouth slowly formed into a sly grin. "Maya Schoenberg...I've been waiting for you..."

I tried to keep my face neutral in an effort to not give Dimitri any satisfaction, but it was hard when I knew I could have saved my mother, just like Ivan or Dimitri. "What the hell was that?" I harshly asked Dimitri. "Go after me - fine! But go after my hopeless mother?! ...You sick bastard!"

Dimitri's grin only widened. "...She only caused you pain, Maya..." He told me as he stepped toward me. "...I was only doing you a favor..." He finally reached me and I tried to back up when his hand touched my cheek, but I bumped into Pavel, who was completely tensed up and ready for battle. "You should be grateful," Dimitri whispered as he leaned in toward me.

Instinctively, I quickly took Pavel's stake from him and slashed Dimitri with it. He moaned in pain and backed away. Pavel jumped in front of me and took back his stake. "I can defend myself, you know," I told him.

"Trust me, Abe would kill me if anything happened to you."

I was surprised at his words, but I couldn't let them sink in as Dimitri was able to push through Pavel and grab me. Fortunately, Pavel was fast to recover as he was able to break me free from Dimitri's strong grip. "Go!" Pavel screamed at me.

"No, I can't-"

"GO!"

I couldn't argue against Pavel's booming voice. Glancing at my mother's dead body one last time, I sprinted out of the room and down the stairs, tears trickling down my cheeks. Dimitri was right - all she did was cause me pain, but her loss was like a sharp dagger in my heart. She was the last family member I had left. Losing both of my parents in the past year seemed like a hard hit.

I reached the living room and slumped down in one of the chairs. My body shook with uncontrollable sobs, but they suddenly stopped when I noticed the ghosts of both my father and mother dancing around the living room together. I was speechless by the obvious love I saw between them. They were finally able to be together with no obstacles in the way. Maybe Dimitri did a good thing, as weird as it was to admit. I had never seen my mom or dad look so happy as they did now.

"Maya?"

Too distracted by what I was seeing, I didn't notice Pavel's face in front of me as he shook me back to reality. I blinked a couple times, still unable to believe what had happened in only a few moments. "Did you stake him?" I whispered.

"...No...no, he got away," Pavel admitted, ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Maya."

His apology didn't seem necessary, but it made me realize how much I actually wanted Dimitri gone.

And that thought scared me.


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter Fifty-Six: A Day With Pavel

I had never heard Pavel talk so much as he had today. I appreciated it because I knew he was trying to distract me from what happened this morning. He took me out for lunch and he let me give him a tour of the town. I was surprised by just how funny Pavel could truly be. Suddenly, I was glad that Abe sent Pavel with me. He helped me get through the rest of today considering the rough way it started.

"I know I shouldn't suggest it since you've seen me intoxicated before," I said, "but I really need a drink after today and there's a bar right there."

"A drink? As in a singular drink?" Pavel questioned.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes. One drink."

He laughed at my expression. "Okay, just checking."

The bar was crowded, but Pavel and I managed to find two empty spots. I ordered straight vodka, which didn't get a good reaction from Pavel. "What? You told me just one drink, you didn't tell me what drink," I defended myself. "Plus, you ordered vodka, too."

"I think I can handle my alcohol better than you can."

"Of course you can, you're like seven feet tall and probably weigh three times more than me."

Pavel laughed and raised his glass for a cheer. "To the completely unpredictable job of being Abe's guardian with you."

I smiled and tapped my glass against his. "Cheers," I said, but I couldn't quite make it as enthusiastic as I wanted to. I still couldn't get the image of Dimitri and my dead mother out of my mind.

Pavel could sense my weariness. "...I'm really sorry about this morning...I wish we came sooner and we could have saved your mother...and...and I wish Dimitri hadn't gotten away..."

"...Just don't tell Abe, okay?" I could tell Pavel was uneasy about keeping a secret from the zmey himself. "...It would just freak him out..."

Pavel studied me for a moment before saying anything else. "...He really loves you, you know..."

I almost choked on my drink. "...He just likes having a pretty guardian."

"You and I know that's absolutely not the only reason he keeps you around. I'm honestly surprised I didn't find you two naked in that bed this morning."

Jesus, Pavel was full of all sorts of fun things to say tonight. I put down my drink, realizing I really was going to choke if he kept saying these sorts of things. "...Do you find it weird?" I asked.

"You and Abe?" He shrugged. "No. There's something about you two together that I can't explain...but no, I don't find it weird. I think you two work really well together...you know, keeping each other balanced."

He was telling the truth. I could tell by his aura. "Thanks...I mean, you're the first person who actually seems okay about it..."

Ironically, my phone rang and I couldn't help but smile when I recognized Abe's number. It's like he knew Pavel and I were talking about him. "Hey," I casually answered, trying to sound like nothing had happened today.

"Hey, where are you guys? I didn't realize your errand would last all day." Even though Abe sounded casual as well, I could tell there was an edge of worry in his voice.

Looking down at my drink, I realized I really didn't want to relive the night I kissed Abe while I was drunk. "Actually, we're just on our way back to the hotel. We'll meet you there, okay? Or can you simply not go that long without seeing my stunning face?" I joked as Pavel and I left our seats and headed out of the bar.

"You know, I have to admit the best part of my day was waking up in the same bed as you. It's rather odd that I haven't seen you in eight hours, but yet Pavel has been in your lovely company all day. It just doesn't seem fair."

I smirked. "Well, you'll be able to see my face plenty when I get back."

"What are you suggesting, Schoenberg?"

"I'll see you at the hotel," I told him before hanging up. "My God, I didn't realize he had such separation anxiety."

Pavel simply grinned. "Just try to keep him contained when we get back."


	57. Chapter 57

**Sissymac - hahaha...well, Pavel is single ;)**

**Chapter Fifty-Seven: Confessions**

I suddenly woke up sweating and out of breath. I tried to settle back into the pillows, but I still couldn't get Dimitri and my mother out of my head. His evil, red eyes glinting at me while he said he was doing me a favor. I almost winced at the fact that my best friend could do that to my last relative. Why would Dimitri do that? What reason could he possibly have had?

He didn't need a reason. That realization made my stomach sink and I wiped the sweat off of my forehead as I sat up. He was an evil Strigoi now. It was his job to kill people with no purpose. I felt completely and utterly sick at the fact that I practically lead Dimitri into that fate, and that was the reason my mother was killed.

"Maya? ...Maya, is everything okay?" Abe whispered as he sat up beside me.

I shakily sighed, knowing I couldn't convince him that 'everything's fine'. "...No...no, things didn't go the way I planned today..."

He gently placed his arm around me and I leaned in against his chest. "You and I both had that in common today, but I have a feeling what you experienced was a hell of a lot worse than what I experienced. Plus, you're Maya Schoenberg, you don't know how to live without finding trouble."

I gave a sad laugh. "Yeah...unfortunately that trouble was Dimitri."

He froze. "That damn Strigoi was there?"

I didn't know how to respond to his alarming anger. "There's nothing we can do about it now, Abe. The most important thing was that Pavel and I weren't hurt."

"Dammit, Maya! I can't stand the thought that he's after you! How am I suppose to let you be my guardian when you're the real one in danger?!" His voice was louder than I was comfortable with. I glanced back at Pavel and I could tell he was awake, but he pretended to be asleep so he didn't have to get involved.

"That's my problem," I responded.

"The hell it is! How am I suppose to live with myself if something happened to you?! I could barely contain myself after that driver took advantage of you!"

I grabbed both of his arms. "Abe, please, calm down-"

"-Do you know what happened to him? ...I had him killed," he whispered. "It disgusted me that someone could do that to you..."

I stared at him in shock. He had the driver killed? It was as if I was staring at Abe and finally understood exactly what power he had. He not only controlled the Alchemists, but he had so many contacts he could get anything he wanted, even if that thing was murder.

I shook my head and got out of the bed, my head overwhelmed with too many conflicting emotions. Suddenly the part of Abe I knew was always there but never showed was out in the open and I didn't know how to handle it. He had someone killed for me. In a sense, it was a romantic gesture, but it was also murder.

Abe got out of bed and walked toward me. "Maya, please, understand that I-"

"-That you what? Killed someone? Abe, you can't just go around getting rid of people you don't like! Especially when it involves murder!"

"He did it to protect you," Pavel muttered, getting up from the floor. "Plus, it's Abe Mazur. What else do you expect out of him?"

Abe sighed. "Thanks for the help, Pavel."

I was suddenly so exhausted, not only by this conversation, but by everything that had happened today. My legs practically gave out on me as I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor. I buried my head in my hands so Pavel and Abe couldn't see the tears running down my cheeks.

I could feel Abe kneel down in front of me. "Maya," he whispered, trying to get me to look at him. "Maya, I only did that because..." He paused for a moment, hesitating,"...because I love you."

That got me to look up. "...Oh my God, did I just hear that right? Did Abe Mazur really confess his love to me?"

He smirked as he leaned in toward me. "Is it really that much of a surprise?"

No, no it wasn't a surprise. That realization sent chills down my spine as I stared into his dark eyes. "...I can't expect anything but surprises from you, Abe."

"I could say the same to you." The mischievous glint in his eyes softened as he leaned in closer until his lips met mine.

It was only natural that we made out after that. Well, until Pavel coughed to break us apart. "It's great that you guys finally admitted your feelings and all that, but please try to refrain yourselves from long make-out secessions and removal of clothing until we're in separate hotel rooms, okay?"

I almost felt embarrassed, but Abe simply laughed as he warned Pavel, "You knew what you were getting yourself into."


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Invitation

Realizing we were going to be stuck here for a while, Abe and I went out to get groceries as Pavel slept in.

"Is this kind of like a first date?" I jokingly asked him as we entered the store.

Abe smirked. "You know, I always liked to think our first date was that night you kissed me."

Entering the first aisle, I glanced over at him. "You're going to have to specify. I remember a couple nights I kissed you."

"Actually, based on how drunk you were, I'm surprised you remembered kissing me that one night," he told me as he grabbed a couple of unfamiliar looking cans and tossed them in the cart.

"You're talking about that night? How does that possibly qualify as a first date?" I asked him as we headed over to the next aisle.

"Well, there was a fancy dinner, we were dancing to music, and I still can't get over how beautiful you looked that night."

I tried not to let that last one get to me too much. Fortunately, I didn't have time to let it sink in as we practically ran into Olena Belikov. "Maya...Abe, hello," She greeted us. She seemed a little sullen as she spoke to us and I immediately knew Rose had told them the news. "Actually, it's a good thing I ran into you, Maya...I'm not sure if you heard, but...Dimitri..."

I watched her in pain. "...Yes, I...I heard...and I'm so sorry, Olena...if there's anything you need..."

She shook her head. "It's fine, Maya, I know you're busy," she said as she glanced over at Abe. "...I just know it would mean a lot to our family if you showed up to Dimitri's service tonight..."

"Of course I will," I reassured her, but staring at her I inwardly regretted accepting the invitation. I knew all the guests would beg me to tell a story and I wouldn't be able to think of any except for the fact that he killed my mother.

Then, Olena surprised me as she hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe. "You don't have to be so strong, Maya. I know you and Dimitri were very close and this can't be easy for you either," she whispered to me.

"...Thank you..." It was the only thing I could think of saying. "Um...I guess I'll see you tonight..."

Olena gave me one last sympathetic look before continuing on with her grocery shopping. I suddenly felt exhausted by the conversation and didn't say much as Abe and I grabbed the last few items we needed. He carefully watched me and I suddenly wished I could just be by myself for a little bit. I was sick of people constantly worrying about me.

"...Maya, you don't have to go if you don't want to," he told me as we entered our hotel room.

Pavel was sitting on the chair, reading a book and looked up when he heard us.

"It doesn't matter if I want to go or not. It'll look bad if I don't show up. I'm probably one of the closest to Dimitri that will be at that gathering...and it's not fair to his family if I don't show up...it's not fair to Dimitri..." My voice cracked at the end as I fell down onto the bed.

I could see Pavel giving me a suspicious stare. "Excuse me if this is too bold to say, but wasn't it just yesterday that Dimitri killed your mom? And now you're saying that it would be unfair to Dimitri if you didn't show up to his funeral? It's not like he's going to show up to your mom's."

Abe and I stared at him in shock. "Pavel-"

"-He killed your mother?!" Abe interrupted me. "You didn't care to mention that to me last night?'

"Because I knew you would react like this!"

Abe grabbed my arms and pulled me up so I was practically pressed against him. "I only react like this because I care..." He whispered. "God, it's like you're afraid to ever get close to anyone."

"...I don't want to lose you..." I quietly responded. "...I always lose those closest to me...and...and I don't know if I handle losing you..."

Abe's strong hands tilted my chin up to look at him. "You won't lose me. I promise."

"I won't let it happen," Pavel added with a knowing smirk.

I glanced between both of them and finally smiled. "I love you guys," I said as I pulled them both in for a group hug.


	59. Chapter 59

**Sissymac- haha, you really are invested in Pavel, aren't you? **

**Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Drunken Ceremony**

This was the moment I've been dreading all day.

It was as if the whole room stopped when I entered the Belikov's house. I saw familiar faces I hadn't seen in years and I immediately wondered if I should even be here. I felt like my presence was just taking away from the purpose of the ceremony.

"Maya!" Alla Frinovskii, one of my former classmates, screamed as she ran up to me and practically threw me around. "It's been so long!"

I stared at her, speechless. Fortunately, she took my silence as grief and sadness and she nodded at me in an understanding way. "I know, this is so hard...I mean, you and Dimitri were so close...I can't imagine...and it feels like just yesterday when Ivan...and I heard about your dad, too...I'm just so sorry..." She said, flustered.

I didn't know how to respond to her, but Olena came to my rescue. "Maya, I'm so glad you could make it!" She greeted me as she hugged me. "Make yourself at home - there's plenty of food and drinks over there."

A drink. That's what I needed. If there's anything that can be guaranteed at a Russian funeral, it's vodka. I rushed over to the table and grabbed a glass. The instant I took a sip, the depressing auras around me slowly faded. I glanced at the alcohol, thinking Adrian was onto something.

"Shouldn't you eat something if you're going to drink all that?" Alla asked as she followed me out to the dining room where the majority of people were.

"I'll be fine," I replied as I took another sip, the auras fading even more. "After all, nobody can hold in their alcohol like us Russians, right?" I rhetorically asked as I gave her a mischievous smile.

She smiled back as she grabbed a drink for herself. "True," she said as we clinked glasses.

Within an hour we were both completely drunk. We spent most of the night sharing stories of Dimitri with other classmates who were present at the ceremony. It almost felt like I was my 18 year-old self, hanging out with all these people - a much more buzzed version of my 18 year-old self, but nonetheless a carefree teenager.

"How come we haven't seen you in so long, Maya?" Vladimir, another former classmate of mine, asked, his words slightly slurred.

"Because she's getting all hanky-panky with the zmey," Alla replied, hiccuping.

I giggled. "What the hell is that even suppose to mean? I mean...sure, I'm the zmey's guardian...we even..." I giggled again at the thought of admitting this to my classmates. "We even kissed a couple times...but I don't know about honky-ponky."

Alla burst out into loud laughter because of my inaccurate pronunciation. "Hanky-panky...damn, Maya...you and Abe Mazur...how the hell do you go from Ivan to Dimitri to Abe?"

"Come on, Maya...how come we didn't get a little taste before he did?" Victor joked as he leaned into me.

I smiled as I teasingly pushed him away. "Weren't you the one trying to go after all the royal Moroi twelfth grade girls when we were ninth graders?"

"If you weren't so short, I would have thought you were a Moroi," he reasoned.

"And that was your chance to get me," I slurred as I tried to set my glass on the table, but missed and it fell to the floor. "Whoops," I giggled, falling back into the chair. "Maybe I've had one too many drinks."

"One too many?" Alla laughed. "I think we...reached that point...way long ago..." She almost looked like she was having trouble staying awake as she sank farther and farther down until the table became her pillow. She was snoring within seconds.

Victor and I laughed, but it was cut short when Olena approached us. I suddenly felt sober staring at those eyes which were so similar to Dimitri's. "Victor, your very upset Moroi is waiting for you outside. Next time think before you drink."

Victor almost laughed again and I assumed it was because Olena had rhymed without meaning to. However, I suddenly realized Abe probably wasn't very happy with me either. "Is Abe here?" I asked.

"He was...but he seemed upset after he talked to Rose."

That perked my attention. "He talked to Rose?"

Olena gave me a dry look. "I already said that."

I suddenly felt so stupid. How could I do this to them? How could I show up to their son's funeral and get completely and utterly wasted? Dimitri wouldn't have done this at my funeral...he was always so responsible. "I'm so sorry..." I whispered as I began to lose control of my emotions. I was sobbing and crying as if the weight of his death finally crushed me. "I could've save him...I loved him...I loved him so much..."

Olena's expression softened as she watched me. She kneeled down and stared right into my eyes. "I know...I guess...I don't know...I didn't expect this sort of thing from you," she said as she gestured toward the broken glass to show an example of my behavior tonight. "...I mean, Rose was so well behaved tonight and she loved him, too..."

"There's a big difference between me and Rose," I told her. "I've been in love with Dimitri since he was five and she's only known him for a year."

Most of the guests were gone by this time and the Belikov family gathered around me, concerned. "I think you should stay here tonight," Olena said as she and her family helped me get up from my chair. "I don't think Abe would be very impressed with a late night call that you're drunk."

"Trust me, he's seen me more drunk," I blurted out. The two older Belikov sisters looked shocked, but Viktoria immediately jumped on the chance to share her room with me.

"It could be like a sleepover!" She excitedly told me.

"Viktoria, you realize she's probably going to crash the instant she hits that bed, right?" Sonya retorted.

"No, I won't," I reassured Viktoria. "If I've gone this long without passing out, I'll be fine for a little while longer."

Karolina and Sonya both gave me questioning looks, but they didn't say anything else as they helped me up the stairs into Viktoria's room. I immediately felt sick when I realized this used to be Dimitri's room. There were some slight differences, but it still felt the same. I was about to protest but they were muffled when they laid me on the bed.

I felt my eyes slowly close and the last thing I remember saying was, "Dammit, Sonya, you were right."


End file.
